soft drinks Information
You are browsing the archive of dental articles on subject soft drinks.
You are browsing the archive of dental articles on subject soft drinks.
We eat and we think that food affects our teeth badly. And we are right. But, are there any foods that help keeping our teeth healthy? Is there anything that not only keeps but makes our teeth look and be better? Of course there are such products, and this article is made to describe them.
The Healthy Smiles campaign wants state lawmakers to pass a tax on soda, with the money going to help low-income Illinois residents gain dental care.
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.
Each year Americans drink, on average, nearly 600 cans of soda apiece. What does that do to their teeth? Studies have pointed to soft drinks as being responsible for adult’s and children’s tooth decay and obesity problems. It is a huge problem.