Soda and Your Smile

When you reach for a cold, fizzy, flavored, carbonated drink, what do you call it? A cola? A Coke? A soda? A pop? A drink by any of these names will taste sweet, bubbly and refreshing. Unfortunately, just like many tasty treats, drinking soda on a regular basis comes with a price, especially in terms of your dental health. Reno dentists, Dr. William Wager and Dr. Brian Evans, will fill you in on the dangers of soft drinks.

Sugar and Acid: A Bad Duo

Despite how delicious soda is, it has way too much added sugar and a whole lot of empty calories. Drinking copious amounts of soda has been linked to kidney damage, weight gain, osteoporosis and bone loss. And let’s not forget irrepairable tooth enamel damage. Due to the high sugar and acid content, soda is bad for your teeth and can erode your tooth enamel, the natural protective covering on your pearly whites. These sugars easily form dental plaque, which builds up at the gumline, but the acids also break down your enamel, leaving your teeth unprotected and vulnerable.

Making Wiser Choices

The obvious choice to protect your teeth and body would be to remove soda from your diet. Because everyone needs a fizzy pick-me-up every now and then, try one of these low-sugar, low-acid alternatives to traditional soda pop:

• Spruce up regular old filtered water with fruits and herbs, such as citrus, cucumber, mint, and melon.
• Enjoy green tea (hot or iced) which may help reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, hypertension, kidney stones, and possibly even curb cavities.
• Add your favorite all-natural juice to seltzer for a fizzy, flavor burst.
• Try adding stevia for natural sweetness to fruit water or tea. This herb derived granule has no calories or carbs, and research has shown that it may be helpful for those managing obesity and glucose intolerance.
• Low sodium vegetable juice offers a quick, low-calorie way to get all the benefits of nutrient packed veggies.

Visit your Reno Dentists

To find out if a daily soda habit has had an effect on your teeth, call Wager Evans Dental, at (775) 800-4845 to schedule an appointment.