Why Sports Drink Put Your Teeth at Risk

Advertisements for sports drinks make it seem that you really need it to power yourself up during and after your workout sessions, but what they’re not telling you is that sports drinks may cause your teeth to degenerate and weaken over time.

Disadvantages of Sports Drinks

Sports drinks may be filled with energy-boosting carbohydrates and electrolytes, but what commercials neglect to tell you is that the they contain the high amounts of sugar. The complex blend found in sports drinks are actually a medley of teeth-destroying ingredients, due to acidity and high sugar levels.

Drinking sports drinks several times a day is just like eating candy – if you are not careful, it can lead to tooth enamel damage, making you more susceptible to cavities and tooth decay. Researches done by the Academy of General Dentistry found out that the acidity of sports drinks is destroy the teeth after five days of consistent use.

Damage Caused by Sports Drinks

While we’re taught that sugar is one of the main reasons of tooth degeneration, it is actually the acid in the drinks that causes its potency. Acid is the main ingredient that breaks down your tooth’s enamel, which in turn makes them highly sensitive to touch and temperature changes.

A research done by Mark Wolff, chairman of the department of cardiology and comprehensive care in New York University College of Dentistry, and his colleagues found out that submerging cow’s teeth in top-selling sports drink for at least ninety minutes causes damage to the strength of the teeth. Sports beverages are more damaging than ordinary sweet drinks, not only to the teeth’s enamel, but also to the dental tissue found under the enamel called dentin. The research found that the top-selling sports drinks caused the dentin to soften, plus other sports drinks caused the teeth to stain.

What If You Brush Your Teeth?

While it may be the best option – grabbing your toothbrush and scrubbing the sports drinks off your teeth in order to prevent the negative effects – brushing your teeth directly afterwards may even further destroy your teeth. Since the enamel of your tooth softens after you drink a sports drink, your teeth are still highly sensitive to the harsh ingredients of some toothpastes. Let your saliva do the cleansing – it can effectively fend off the acidity of sports drinks and re-mineralize your teeth.

If you must drink sports drinks – use straw so that your teeth is not as exposed to the drink and drink plenty of water before and after. It also helps to consume your sports drink in one go, rather than drinking it slowly over a long duration of time.

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