The more you drink, the easier it is to damage tooth enamel

Cola-containing drinks destroy tooth enamel 10 times higher than pressed fruit juices within the first 3 minutes after drinking.

A new study of the School of Dentistry at the University of Southern Illinois, USA, shows that drinking soft drinks for a long time will wear a large amount of tooth enamel. According to experts, many people only worry about high sugar levels in freshwater making them obese, without thinking that the high acidity of those drinks will destroy tooth enamel.

The harmful effects of these drinks on tooth enamel are determined by the high content of citric and / or phosphoric acid.

RC Cola has the highest acidity

The team looked at the pH of 20 types of soft drinks in the market, based on the pH scale: index 7 is average, above 7 is alkaline, and below 7 is acidic - and will eat tooth enamel wear.

In the above table, from the bottom up is soft drinks with a high to low pH (pH = 7 is neutral, pH 7: Alkaline water) (Photo: Science Live)

The slices of enamel extracted from new teeth were removed by experts in 48 years of freshwater. The results showed that Coke, Pepsi, RC Cola, Squirt, Surge, 7 Up and Diet 7 lost 5% of enamel volume, while other drinks destroyed tooth enamel with a ratio of 1.6% - 5% .

Kenton Ross, spokesman for the Institute of General Dentistry (USA), said: 'In this study, we found that RC Cola is the most acidic beverage, with a pH of 2,387'. Cherry Coke (pH = 2,522) and Coke (pH = 2,525) are ranked second and third.

Meanwhile, ' root beer ' (a non-alcoholic, root-flavored drink) has the lowest acidity of all soft drinks, with a pH of 4,038 for the Mug brand.

Enamel will be destroyed by high acidity in fresh water.(Photo: Softpedia)

The study also found that drinks without cola have a weaker acidity than cola drinks but wear out more enamel."Citric acid is the most corrosive and has more in cola-free drinks, " Ross said . In general, it should be noted that all types of soft drinks have sufficient acidity to erode tooth enamel '.

The study also shows that orange juice and sports drinks are also harmful to tooth enamel.

It is best to eat in moderation

According to Richard Adamson, scientific advisor of the American Beverage Association, no one can drink soft drinks continuously for two consecutive days, but the effects of erosive enamel occur as soon as you drink and increase. by the time.

He said: 'The most protective factor in your mouth is saliva. It works to dilute acid and act as a buffer between drinks and teeth. '

According to him: 'In addition to fresh water, there are also many foods that affect health and oral hygiene'. He said: 'Some fruits, fruit juices, cider, and foods like pickled vegetables, salads and vinegar also erode tooth enamel like fresh water.'

He stressed: 'There is not a single food or drink that is responsible for eroding tooth enamel. There are many influencing factors. The problem is that we should eat and drink everything in moderation '.

Meanwhile, Ms. Tracey Halliday, spokesman for the American Beverage Association, said: 'These findings cannot be applied to all situations, because human eating behavior can different and the enamel wear is also affected by many different factors'.

Minh Quang