Soft Drinks - Dental Health - Enamel Damage

 

Soft Drinks and Your Dental Health
Consumption Rising

Soft drink consumption has increased dramatically over the past 40 years, much to the pleasure of the Soft drink manufacturers, and so have the ill effects of it's over consumption.

In fact, kids today consume way too much sugar (29 to 40tsp/day) as compared to 40 years ago. Teenagers are getting approximately 40% of their sugar/energy calories from soft drinks; they are drinking less milk and getting less calcium.

Teens currently drink twice as much Soft drink as milk when compared to twenty years ago. Studies have shown that teenage girls require 1300mg of calcium/day and may be only getting 800mg. Calcium is important for bone development up to the age of 18; lack of calcium can predispose one to osteoporosis and broken bones.

At Risk Populations

As a matter of fact, teenage girls who drink too much Soft drink have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis and broken bones. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has stated that three cans of Soft drink/day poses a serious risk for teenage boys. Males in the 12-29 age range are the largest group of Soft drink drinkers. Health risks from over consumption include diabetes, kidney stones, obesity, osteoporosis, and tooth destruction.

What about the contents of Soft drink or should we say Liquid Candy? Soft drink contents include a high fructose corn syrup, additive dye, acid, and caffeine. An average can of Soft drink has approximately 10-12tsp of sugar or 40-48 grams, carbonic or phosphoric acid, and some like Mountain Dew have 55mg of caffeine.

Incidentally, an adult No Doze contains 95mg of caffeine. The fructose syrup has zero nutritional value. Caffeine, a mildly addictive stimulant, causes calcium excretion which can lead to increased risk of osteoporosis and kidney stones.

The addictive nature of caffeine has led to habitual consumption of some of these beverages. Some individuals are actually allergic to the food dyes that are added for coloring.

Health Consequences of Soft drink Consumption

Let's discuss the oral health consequences. Most people will say the sugar in the Soft drink is bad and will cause tooth decay and obesity. The real danger here is the acid!

Sugar vs. Acid

The carbonic or phosphoric acid dissolves the calcium out of the enamel leaving a softened matrix for bacteria to enter the teeth and cause wholesale carious destruction. So drinking sugar free Soft drinks is not the answer.

The individuals we see range from a mild decalcification of teeth where there are white bands of softened enamel circling the teeth at the gum line to cases where numerous teeth are totally destroyed from decay.

Many of these individuals are students who would study and continuously sip Soft drink creating an acid bath for their teeth. Now let's not forget the fact that sugar itself is converted to acid by the bacteria on the teeth for an additional insult. If you couple all this with poor oral hygiene, you have an oral disaster in the making.

Public Awareness

The public needs to be educated regarding these ill affects and the Soft drink companies need to take some responsibility, for they glorify drinking their brands as being cool sort of like Joe Camel and cigarettes. So the next time you or your kids drink Soft drink... be aware. Use moderation. Don't bathe your teeth in acid, rinse with water and practice good oral hygiene.

Diagnosing and Treating Enamel Loss

Dental Enamel Destruction
Understanding Enamel Loss

 

Oral Health Habits
Sucking lemons, keeping candies and mints in mouths for hours or during sleep, sipping sugary drinks all day, chewing tobacco all day, snuff, smoking, dissolving medicines in mouth instead of swallowing. Sugary gum or sour gummi bears that have citric acid that dissolves teeth.

Oral Disease

Fevers at young age, antibiotics while teeth developing in utero, periodontitis leading to food impaction in crevices around teeth. Xerostomia - dry mouth due to medication or illness or age. Oral disease mirrors systemic disease. Leukemia, HIV, Diabetes, cancers, all can influence caries/cavities due to immunocompromised systems.

- Eating Preferences - Habits
- Excess candy consumption, lack of proper nutrition, high fructose corn syrup
- Bulimia Purging
- Acid attack, gasses from stomach, acid reflux, vomit acids
- Trauma
- Fracture, chips, missing tooth or fillings can lead to impaction of bacteria, decay and further breakdown
- Friction
- Fillings that are too high, poorly shaped, pitted, old ditched, can pack food leading to deterioration and decay.
- Occlusal
- Grinding, Bruxism (nocturnal grinding), posturing things between teeth, using teeth as tools.
- Incompatability with Previous Dentistry
- Leaking crowns that don't fit, cement that has leached out leaving gaps for bacteria to seep through, overhangs (rough fillings or excess fillings that tear floss and pack food) that trap bacteria.
- Genetic Birth Defects
- Ectodermal dysplasia
- Developmental Growth Abnormalities
- Amelogenesis or Dentinogenesis imperfecta are factors that can lead to pitting and decay.
- Prevention - Control - Treatment of Enamel Damage
- Loss or deterioration of enamel can have many causes, as outlined above. Whether or not there is a fix, cure (a misnomer, really), or method for repairing affected enamel is based on the original cause.

In many situations the treatments of choice that offer strong predictability of success, both functionally and cosmetically, are the use of restorative procedures recommended by a cosmetic dentist. New porcelain crowns for restoring deteriorating teeth to natural contours and function, buildups and fillings to test a new bite or restore lost biting relationships, implant crowns, bridges and quality feldspathic porcelain offer a variety of creative methods for overcoming the loss of enamel

In cases where enamel loss is arrested early (perhaps due to poor dietary habits) certain types of mineralizing agents in the form of toothpastes and rinses can be successfull.

Below is a very brief outline of anticipated treatments for each of the categories of enamel loss. Some are homeopathic, and can be done at home. Others require the expert help of an experienced dentist.

 

Oral Health Habits

Consciously changing behavior, biofeedback, splint therapy or appliances to change habits such as NTI or the Best Bite Discluder

Oral Disease

- Cariology (study of cavities) bears out that it is a disease. Complete eradication is needed to stop the spread of the bacterial infection that is caries. Fluoride releasing fillings, mouth-rinses, and systemic medication can all be useful adjuncts to stopping carious lesions from spreading.Fluoride releasing fillings, crowns with fluoride cements, trays for at home fluoride treatments and behavior modification are all possible treatments.

- Eating Preferences - Habits

High fructose corn syrup found in sodas, juice drinks, sports drinks as well as energy bars are bathing teeth in sugar. Blended coffee drinks and the decrease in milk consumption have been blamed in the increase in rampant tooth decay. Solution, see oral disease.

Bulimia Purging
Behavioral Psychologist, medication, and restoration with crowns and orthodontics when stable

 

Trauma
Root canal therapy if needed, large restorative fillings to restore teeth to high strength, and crowns or protective caps

 

Friction
Mouthguards, occlusal adjustments, equillibration or evening out of bite. Rehabilitiation or reconstruction of bite

 

Occlusal
Mouthguards, splints, adjustment of bite. Possible rehabilitation of bite with crowns or posterior porcelain or gold restoration

Incompatability with Previous Dentistry
replace it with modern state-of-the-art- restorative dentistry to include gold, porcelain,zirconium, pressed or feldspathic porcelain

 

Genetic Birth Defects
Restoration of missing teeth or pitted teeth with fillings or crowns. Missing teeth to be replaced with implant supported crowns or bridges

Developmental Growth Abnormalities