The Hard Facts on Sugary Drinks

Provided by United Concordia Dental

If you have a sweet tooth, you probably love sugary drinks. There’s nothing wrong with that. Unless you overdo it. Soft drinks and other sugar-filled beverages can harm your teeth.

Acids and sugar: the real culprits.

Sugar mixes with bacteria in your mouth and produces acid. The acids coat your teeth’s enamel and wear away this outer covering. That can open the door to tooth decay.

Limit how many you drink.

The less added sugar in your diet, the better. Women and men should consume no more than 6 – 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day.* That’s about half the sugar in most 20-ounce soft drinks.

Don’t let sugar sit on your teeth.

Drink your beverage in one sitting. Sipping keeps sugars and acids in contact with your teeth longer. Or, use a straw positioned toward the back of your mouth. That helps keep the sugar off your teeth. When you’re done, rinse with water to wash off the sugar.

The best solution? Drink water! It cleans the mouth and neutralizes acids. Plus, it’s a healthy alternative with no added sugar.