With That Burst of Energy, Sports and Energy Drinks Ruin Your Teeth

Sunday 17 June 2012 @ 9:08 pm

If you lead an active lifestyle, you are highly likely to have consumed sports or energy drinks—even if you do not belong to that group of young adult Americans who take these drinks daily.

The ads will tell you the good news about sports and energy drinks. Whether the drinks actually deliver what they promise or not, here’s the bad news: The power they deliver does not come free. According to a recent study published in the May/June issue of General Dentistry, the journal of the Academy of General Dentistry, the high acidity content in sports and energy drinks can damage tooth enamel. Once damaged, tooth enamel loses its gloss and cannot be fixed. Enamel damage make teeth prone to cavities.

Says the lead author of the study Dr. Poonam Jain, associate professor and director of community dentistry at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine: “Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are ‘better’ for them than soda.” Most, she says, are shocked to learn that sports and energy drinks are essentially acid baths for their teeth.

“The big misconception is that energy drinks and sports drinks are healthier than soda for oral health,” says Dr. Jain. “This study completely disproves that, because they erode or thin out the enamel of the teeth, leaving them more susceptible to decay and sensitivity.”

The researchers looked at the acidity levels in nine energy drinks and 13 sports drinks and found that acidity levels varied by brand and between flavors of the same brand. Among sports drinks Gatorade Blue had the highest acidity, with Hydr8 coming second. Energy drinks with the highest acidity included Red Bull Sugarfree, Monster Assault, 5-hour Energy, Von Dutch and Rockstar.

They then tested six drinks to see their effect on tooth enamel and found that both types of drinks caused damage. Energy drinks were found to be twice as bad as sports drinks.

Here’s Dr. Jain’s advice:

If you are absolutely unable to give them up, try to minimize use and rinse your mouth with water afterwards.
Diluting the drinks reduce their impact.
Avoid brushing teeth immediately because it can further damage your teeth. Wait for at least an hour afterwards for brushing.

And if you are a fan of sports and energy drinks, you belong in the high risk category for tooth decay. May be it is time for your routine dental visit. FreeDentistFinder.com network of quality dentists makes it so easy to find a dentist in your area.

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