Do you love drinking soda? Most Americans do like soft drinks–we did invent them!

     Well, it may taste great, but it’s certainly not great for your teeth! Heavy soda consumption has been linked to rampant tooth decay in all age groups, but is the primary reason adults develop cavities. Check out just a few of the reasons why:

• One 12-ounce can of soda contains between 10-12 teaspoons of sugar!
• Acids in soft drinks begin to dissolve tooth enamel after only 20 minutes!
• “Sugar free” or diet sodas also contain acid that can damage your teeth.

     So…how can you minimize your risk for cavity formation? Avoid sugars and acids. The easiest way is to learn to drink water instead – it may take a while to get used to if you’re a soda junkie, but is the most effective way to reduce your risk. If you cannot give up sodas, at least drink the entire can of soda in 20 minutes or less. If you are sipping on these drinks over a few hours, every gulp is re-exposing your teeth to a wash of acids and sugars. After drinking, rinse with some water or brush your teeth to get the film of cavity-causing agents off your teeth.

     Some other positive effects of kicking the soda to the curb are weight loss, as you are not imbibing extra carbohydrates and empty calories regularly. Your kidneys and excretory sytem will have a much easier time filtering fluids without all those additives, preservatives, dyes, and acids. Lets not forget the tangible effects of not buying sodas anymore: each can of soda is approximately 75 cents; if you were drinking 3 per day, then you are saving yourself $2.25  a day by not buying sodas anymore. In no time you’ll be feeling better and your mouth, body, and bank account will be loving you for it!

Need a reason NOT to do Meth? If that picture isn’t enough motivation to never start – here are 4 more reasons why you should never even try methamphetamine:

• Meth can contain battery acid, cold medicine, drain cleaner, antifreeze, acetone or lye. (Do you really want to ingest these chemicals?)
• Acidic content causes massive dry mouth, leading to gum disease and extensive tooth decay.
• Teeth are heavily damaged by grinding and clenching.
• Teeth become stained, blackened and rotting- and the person who is using meth is not especially concerned about brushing for days on end. Most teeth fall out within a year of starting to abuse methamphetamine.

This patient had a high decay rate due to a diet that included several sodas per day.

He also had the beginning of periodontal disease.  Dr. Saylor gave him a SONICARE toothbrush…got him on the right track toward a healthy mouth.  We were able to restore his upper and lower teeth using a combination of EMPRESS veneers and crowns.

We think this is a beautiful result!  What do you think?