Most adolescent children love drinking sports drinks or energy drinks. It is important to monitor your child’s consumption of these sweet fluids as the majority of soft drinks we sip on throughout the day contain large amounts of sugar and tooth-eroding acids.
Fizzy, sports and energy drinks contain acid which attack your tooth enamel - these include the sugar free or the ‘zero’ varieties. Every time you take a sip of one of these drinks, you start a brand new round of acid attack on your teeth that can last up to 20 minutes.
What should you do?
- Cut down the number of fizzy, sports and energy drinks in your diet and consider a healthier option, such as water.
- Drink through a straw
- Avoid drinking before bed
- Swish your mouth with water after each drink
- Avoid brushing your teeth for an hour after you have had one of these drinks, as the acid temporarily softens the teeth. Brushing your teeth during this time can deteriorate and further wear down your tooth enamel
It is important to have regular dental check-ups if you or your children are habitually consuming these varieties of drinks. Dental decay and dental erosion are very commonly found in those who have a high intake of soft drinks and thus should be diagnosed early with X-ray images and comprehensive examinations.
At Concord Dental Practice we aim to diagnose and prevent these sorts of habits from occurring and identify decay with comprehensive examinations. If you or your child drink fizzy, energy, or sports drinks frequently, it’s probably time for a dental visit. Call us on 9743 4001.