Energy Drinks are Bad For Teeth

Energy drinks can take a major toll on teeth. They contain sugar, acids and other teeth harming ingredients. In addition to this, they cause dehydration which can wreak havoc on your oral health. Today I will be discussing with you reasons why you might want to skip the energy drink and grab a water or even a soda instead.

To begin energy drinks are acidic. When you look at the labels on energy drinks, one of the most common ingredients you will come across is citric acid. Citric Acid is used primarily as a tarty flavor enhancer. This ingredient also promotes shelf life in many beverages. The bad thing about this ingredient is that it is an acid, acids and teeth do not mix! This may cause cavities to crop up where you least expect them. Citric acid is all the reason you need to avoid energy drinks, but trust me there are a lot more.

I myself, am not against energy drinks, in fact, I have consumed more than my fair share of them. I like the caffeine, who doesn't? This leads us to our next ingredient, Caffeine. This common stimulant is a diuretic and as a result, will dehydrate you. When a person gets dehydrated this leads to dry mouth, and teeth and dry mouth do not mix! Saliva is essential as it provides a continuous stream of cleaning fluids for the teeth and mouth. When saliva is absent bacteria are more likely to stick to the teeth and create cavities. In addition to this caffeine can be habit-forming leading you to reach for this enamel harming elixir without even realizing it at times.

Just as important as acid and caffeine, sugar is another major culprit in energy drinks. Sugar fuels cavity-causing bacteria causing their growth rate to increase exponentially. Sugar is a mouth bacteria number one favorite food, next to carbs. Providing them with this substance gives them a boost in metabolism unlike anything else. The sugar in combination with dry mouth can cause cavities to crop up practically overnight. Sugar-free energy drinks are not that much better, as they still contain acids and caffeine.

Equally as important as acid, caffeine, and sugars, the carbonation in energy drinks does not help matters whatsoever. When consuming a carbonated drink, the fizziness and bubbles allow the sugar and acids to reach tiny crevices between teeth. This takes things an extra step farther by ensuring all the teeth harming ingredients in these drinks reach every part of your enamel. This is just one of the many reasons why energy drinks are damaging to enamel. Next time you are in the gas station looking for a boost, choose a warm tea and your teeth and health will benefit as a result.

"Citrus"by craigles75 is licensed under CC BY 2.0