Acid in Popular Beverages Can Wreck Youngsters’ Teeth
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iStock/Thinkstock(ADELAIDE, Australia) — Parents have heard all the reasons why they should steer their kids away from certain popular beverages that are loaded with either sugar or caffeine or both. However, a study from Australia’s University of Adelaide brings up another downside of soft drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks, which is high acidity.
Dr. Sarbin Ranjitkar and his team say that the acids in these drinks can cause tooth enamel to wear away, not to mention make the teeth discolored and sensitive.
And if that isn’t bad enough, Ranjitkar warns of the dreaded “triple threat” that can do irreparable damage to young teeth. In addition to the effects of acid in beverages, he says that many teens also grind their teeth when they sleep and the combination of that and acids produced by the stomach because of reflux present a nightmare scenario.
Ranjitkar’s advice to parents then is to limit soft drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks since enamel erosion can occur within 30 seconds of acid in contact with teeth.
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