Sports drinks & tooth decay

Consumption of sports drinks increases with the summer temperature. The hotter the day, the more young athletes and adults consume sports drinks with electrolytes. Researchers tested some of the most popular sports drinks. They found the beverages caused three to 11 times more tooth enamel damage than cola-based drinks.

From a dental perspective, the concern is the acid, the sugar—that constant quenching, drenching the teeth with it. There’s no rest time. Acid on the teeth combines with sugars in the mouth and erodes the surface of the tooth. Liquid sugar does not clear from the mouth for 20 minutes.

Any drink under 5.7 on the ph scale can cause dental erosion. Gatorade tested at 2.8; Powerade was 2.6 and Cytomax was 3.2. One exposure to a drink high in acid causes an acid attack that lasts for about 20 minutes. So if you consume a sports drink over a long period of time, you also extend the acid attack and increase the risk of cavities.

If someone is going to consume a sports drink, it is better to drink it all at once. This summer, encourage your children to drink lots of water instead of bottled drinks, because the pH of water is always just right.

Meridian Harmonics