Ways to reduce or prevent damage to your teeth from soft drinks
It may not be easy to give up soft drinks completely, as a matter of fact, you shouldn’t. Soft drinks can be beneficial to the body in their own way. However, there are measures and steps you can take to reduce the risk of damage to your teeth. They include:
- Don’t sip all day: refrain from drinking soft drinks continuously, you should finish it quickly rather than sipping it little by little. This is because constant exposure to the sugars and acids in soft drinks means that your mouth can not restore its natural pH balance. The longer it takes to drink a soft drink, the more time it has to cause issues with your dental health. And the faster you drink the less time the sugar and acids have to cause damages to your teeth.
- Avoid soft drinks before bedtime: asides from that the sugar will most likely keep you up. But also, that you are giving the sugar acids in the drink all night to attack your teeth.
- Lessen direct exposure to sugar: you can reduce the time the drink spends in your mouth. The faster you drink the less time the sugar and acids have to damage your teeth. You can also make use of a straw, which delivers the drink straight to the back of your mouth, thereby keeping the acids and sugar away from the teeth.
- Rinse your mouth with water: you can pick up the habit of flushing your mouth with water after drinking soda. This will help wash away any remaining sugars and acids, preventing them from attacking your teeth.
- Don’t brush immediately: it might sound ironic but brushing your teeth immediately after taking soft drinks or soda is not a good idea. This is because the friction the toothbrush would have against the vulnerable and recently-attacked teeth can do more harm than good. It is advised that you wait for about an hour or two before brushing.
- Drink soda with food: drinking soda alongside eating can be helpful. This is because there is a lot of saliva present when you are eating and it can help break down the acid and prevent it from attacking the teeth.
- Visit your doctor for regular dental checkups and cleaning: it is important that you visit your dentist regularly for checkups. Your dentist will be able to spot any problems before they worsen. He might recommend that you have professional teeth cleaning to help remove the buildup of plaque and bacteria that promote decay. Also, with regular checkups and exams, your dentist would be able to identify the problem, it may not only be as a result of soda.
There are different types of soda, you can choose one that will do less damage to your teeth since they have less acid in them. You should know that Pepsi and Coca-Cola are two of the most acidic soft drinks. Your dentist may advise that you take more juice than soft drinks.
Conclusion
You should be watchful of how much soda you drink to avoid having issues with your teeth. As explained in the article soda or soft drinks can cause as much damage as tooth decay to the teeth. You should follow the steps mentioned to reduce the risk of soda affecting your teeth.
References
[1] http://www.healthline.com/health/obesity
[2] http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes
[3] http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db71.htm
[4] http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-enamel-erosion-restoration
[5] http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cavities/symptoms-causes/syc-20352892