| If you think coffee and cola are the worst drinks for your teeth, you might want to thing again. It seems that energy and sports drinks may do more damage because of the type of acid they contain, not necessarily because acid is concentrated. In fact, bottled lemonades and energy drinks may erode the enamel on your teeth up to 11 times more than colas, according to the Journal General Dentistry.
If you do consume drinks that might cause enamel damage, you should rinse your mouth with water and wait about 30 minutes before you brush, because if the drink has softened your enamel then even mildly abrasive toothpaste can cause more damage. According to the study's authors J. Anthony von Fraunhofer, professor of biomaterials science at the University of Maryland, and student Matthew Rogers, on a scale of 0-to-5, where 5 is the most damaging and zero is the least, coffee and tea rated two zeros, colas got a 1, a lemon-lime flavored soda got a 2, bottled iced tea (sweetened and with lemon) also got a 2, various sports drinks and energy drinks rated 4's and 5's depending on the brand. |
