5 Drinks that Taste Great but Hurt your Child’s Teeth
Because you’re a parent, you always have to be on the lookout to keep your children healthy. Kids (and even some adults;) often have trouble knowing what’s healthy for them versus what’s not.
Most people are surprised at how much sugar, carbs, and acids can be found in common and popular drinks. Kids and adults alike can be hurting their teeth without realizing it.
By calling our Hellertown, PA dental office today at (610) 838-0131, you can make an appointment for dental cleanings and dental exams for your whole family. Our Hellertown dentists work great with children and can see kids as young as 2 ½ years old. This way, you can help protect your kids’ teeth from drinks that might be hurting them.
The Best Ways To Keep Your Family’s Teeth Healthy
Many parents want to know if there are any tricks or secrets to helping protect their children’s dental health. While there are no such tricks, here are the biggest tips:
- Get athletic mouthguards for any children playing sports.
- Restrict sugary foods to occasional treats.
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
- Brush twice a day and floss once each night before bed.
The 5 Drinks That Can Hurt Teeth
There are three ways a drink can hurt your kids’ smiles.
1. Sugar is bad for your teeth. That’s because it lets harmful bacteria thrive and increases your risk of cavities and gum disease.
2. Carbohydrates are similar enough to sugar that they also increase your risk of dental problems.
3. Acid coats your teeth and erodes enamel. It’s not as bad as a cavity, but it will weaken teeth.
That’s why these drinks are bad for you and your children’s dental health.
COFFEE AND TEA DRINKS
The impact of these drinks depends somewhat on how you take it. Getting a coffee or tea “drink” at many popular coffee chains can do damage just like a milkshake. That’s because these drinks are so full of liquid sugar. As you enjoy them, the sugar coats your teeth and gums, making cavities and gum disease more likely.
Even if you take coffee or tea plain, you have two problems. First, all coffee and tea are highly acidic. These acids can erode your enamel. Second, both drinks stain enamel and eventually darken your smile.
FRUIT JUICES
Fruit juice is normally high in vitamin c, that’s very true. But they are also high in sugar. Even all-natural, unsweetened fruit juices will coat your kids’ teeth in sugar that let’s harmful bacteria thrive. Plus, juice tends to be highly acidic, which can lead to weaker enamel.
ENERGY DRINKS
Energy drinks are more popular than ever with older kids and teenagers. That’s because it gives them a rush of energy. The problem is that most energy drinks have tons of sugar to kickstart that rush. Many are also highly acidic like coffee, tea, or fruit juice. The key here is to read the ingredients label carefully.
SPORTS DRINKS
As parents push their kids to stay active to fight childhood obesity, many can give their kids sports drinks to keep them hydrated. These are designed to do just that, but be careful: They’re also full of carbs to give long-term energy to athletes. Since carbs are very similar to sugar, they can also increase your kids’ chances of cavities and gum disease. In addition, the coloring added to sports drinks can stain enamel.
DIET SODA
Some parents give their kids diet soda to drink because there is no sugar in it. That’s very true, but all soda is highly acidic. In fact, if you submerged a tooth in diet soda for a while, it would come out eroded as if it had bad tooth decay. And as with any darkly colored drink, diet soda will stain teeth eventually.
Call us TODAY at (610) 838-0131 or contact us online to schedule dental cleanings and dental exams for anyone in your family. From toddlers to adults, our dentists have the training and experience to help keep up everyone’s dental health.
