Question

What effect does Coke and other carbonated soft drinks have on teeth?

Answer

I’m a nutrition major, and in my bacteriology lab, for our final we have to do an independent study. I decided to experiment on how particular sodas promote bacterial growth in the mouth to produce a very favorable environment for cavity development. I tested Regular Coke, Diet Coke, Grape Fanta, Orange Fanta, Ginger Ale, and Sun Drop. Regular Coke by far had the most bacterial growth, which was surprising since it did not contain the most sugar. My study proved that regular Coke would lead to more rapid tooth decay than any of the other sodas that were tested. I’m still in the process of experimenting and finding a conclusion as to why the bacterial growth produced by Coke (innoculated with the same oral bacteria just as all the others were) was far beyond all the others.