Why It’s Time to Ditch the Sports Drinks & Fruit Juices

Dental professionals have constantly expressed their concern about the high rates of dental issues amongst active individuals of all ages, from children to adults. According to dentists and dental hygienists, active people focus more on their training, meeting their nutritional goals, and staying hydrated, which typically involves drinking plenty of fruit juices and sports drinks, with little consideration of their oral health, notes Chula Vista dentist, Dr. Risos.

The Problem with Sports Drinks and Fruit Juices.

Many of the popular sports drinks contain high levels of sugars and acids – a combination that damages the tooth surface leading to decay. This damage is referred to as acid wear or tooth/dental erosion. Fruit juices also naturally contain acids, plus the added sugars make them just as dangerous to the oral health of athletes.

Tooth erosion occurs when tooth enamel is weakened to an extent where the underlying tooth material (dentine) becomes abraded. Dental erosion is dangerous because the resulting loss of tooth structure is irreversible. Once the enamel is destroyed, any bacteria in your mouth can easily access the dentine layer, resulting in sensitivities, tooth decay, and cavities.

The danger with these drinks is associated with:

1. High acidity –

Tooth enamel is composed of different minerals, including phosphate and calcium. High acidity in the mouth (pH < 5.5) dissolves the enamel and dentine and weakens it, leaving it vulnerable. So, fruit juices with a pH of 3.4 to 3.6, and sports drinks with a pH of 2.4-4.5 are particularly dangerous to your teeth. The sugars in these drinks also feed harmful bacteria in your mouth and get converted to acid, which further increases the acidity in your mouth.

2. Sugar content –

The sugar in these drinks is in a form that makes it adhere to your teeth more than saliva can protect them. These sugars cause additional acid production, increasing dental decay.

3. Frequency and exposure duration –

Saliva helps to neutralize the acidity in your mouth. It also contains minerals (calcium and phosphate) that replace the eroded minerals on tooth enamel through remineralization. However, the frequent sipping of juices and sports drinks increases the amount of time that your teeth are exposed to sugars and high acidity. The result is faster demineralization compared to remineralization, and a net loss of tooth enamel.

Final Note
The erosion process is usually gradual, so it is not something you would notice yourself, unless you attend regular dental checkups. To correct the resulting damage, you may need an extraction, root canal, fillings, crowns, dentures, implants, or inlays and onlays.

In addition to going for regular checkups, consider replacing fruit drinks and sports drinks with equality nutritious food items, like bananas and yoghurt, and water. If you can’t avoid these drinks, use a straw to reduce contact with your teeth, and avoid swishing the drink in your mouth before swallowing. Also, always rinse your mouth with water afterwards, and brush and floss your teeth regularly.