What Acid Really Does to Teeth

Earlier this year, researchers warned about the dangers of soft drinks, fruit juices, and sports drinks on their children’s teeth. These drinks are high in acidity and contribute to what is irreversible damage. The researchers proved for the first time that lifelong damage is done to teeth because of the high acidity of these drinks within the first 30 seconds of drinking them. When you combine the acidity of these drinks with nighttime tooth grinding that is common of children along and reflux, you get permanent damage to the teeth.

Dental erosion is often only noted after the damage has been done and the teeth are significantly eroded. This leads to a lifetime of poor oral health and might never be fixed. The results are costly procedures and an inability to have a bright smile throughout adulthood. Researches claim the increase in tooth erosion could be caused by the consumption of these highly acidic beverages. The acids don’t seem harmful at first but can actually be damaging even in small amounts.

One of the doctors on the team of researchers urged parents to minimize their children’s consumption of any soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit juices, or acidic foods. “Our research has shown that permanent damage to the tooth enamel will occur within the first 30 seconds of high acidity coming into contact with the teeth. This is an important finding and it suggests that such drinks are best avoided. If high acidity drinks are consumed, it is not simply a matter of having a child clean their teeth an hour or 30 minutes later and hoping they’ll be okay — the damage is already done,” Dr. Sarbin Ranjitkar says.