I haven’t had a full-sugar soda in several years, but I still enjoy a few diet sodas a week. And, I've occasionally heard, off-handedly, that diet sodas can cause tooth decay just as their full-sugar cousins can. For what it’s worth, I switched to diet soda for the caloric savings, not specifically for the dental advantages (I almost typed “dental benefits” there, but that would have had an entirely different connotation than I intended.) However, as I like to have healthy teeth, I didn’t really want to drink beverages that might work against that (assuming that the notion was true).
A couple months back, I applied my Google-fu and though to get to the bottom of this. As it turns out, it was harder than I thought since some dental professionals said that diet soda doesn’t cause tooth decay while other dental folks said that diet soda does cause tooth decay. Yeesh. At the time, I just gave up on the question and made a mental note to revisit the issue later.
Well, I tried Googling again today and I came across a more definitive answer. One resource that looked promising was a pamphlet sent to parents from the Ohio Dental Association:
While excessive sugar is not healthy, it’s the acid in diet and regular soda that can damage tooth enamel and cause cavities and tooth decay. Acid can begin to harm tooth enamel in only 20 minutes.
That just about concluded my search, though I checked Google once more to see if I could find a national (or international) source in addition to this state-wide source. And, I came across this message from the Academy of General Dentistry about diet soda:
Drinking carbonated soft drinks regularly can contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel surfaces, according to the Academy of General Dentistry.
[…]
Because saliva helps neutralize acids and wash your teeth clean, the worst time to drink soda pop, ironically, is when you are very thirsty or dehydrated due to low levels of saliva. “The larger the volume of intake, the more impact soda pop has on your teeth,” says Gordon Isbell, III, DDS, MAGD, a spokesdentist for the Academy of General Dentistry. “Diet sodas are part of the problem. Women especially like to drink them throughout the day and between meals because they have no calories, yet the higher frequency and volume is putting their teeth at risk.” […]
You hadn’t heard of the “Academy of General Dentistry”? Well, neither had I — but they’re apparently “a non-profit organization of more than 37,000 general dentists”. I suppose that puts the question to rest, then; now I just need to figure out what I can drink instead of diet soda. (I probably won’t cut it out completely, but perhaps my teeth will thank me for drinking less of it.)
PS Is anyone else appalled — and, at the same time, amused — by the Academy’s unnecessary coinage of the term “spokesdentist”? ;)
The local grocery stores carry this flavored, carbonated water in cans called La Croix. I like it because it sort of satisfies the bubbly soda craving, but it’s just slightly flavored water. You might try those out. I like em.
That does sound pretty tasty, Billy. However, my understanding is that it’s the carbonic acid with soda that plays a factor in tooth decay (from the carbonation). And, presumably La Cruix would be just as affected by that :-(.
Well, I need to get my caffeine somewhere, and it’s either from soda or coffee. Coffee makes my teeth yellow, and soda erodes the enamel. It almost seems like between the two, you’ve got a perfect combination delivery system. (Maybe not.)
I know what you mean, M-D. I’m halfway tempted to Ask MetaFilter about what beverages they might recommend that are good for both my teeth’s color & enamel.
“I haven’t had a full-sugar soda in several years”
Lies!!! You had a FULL SIP of my Coke in order to compare its flavor to Diet Coke with Splenda! Alex is full of filthy lies!!!!!
Hehe. I don’t think taking a sip counts as “having a soda” ;).
My dentist in Pittsburgh scolded me for all the sodas and I was very paranoid for a while. My dentist out here, said my teeth showed signs of hyper calcification (from lots of flouride in the water) and therefore it’d take a lot of soda to degrade the enamel.
Have you asked your dentist if there are signs your enamel is decaying? If there isn’t, there might not be a reason to change.
I try to keep them the sodas to a minimum but coffee is out for me.
(My roommate eats of a lot of those caffeinated mints. I think I would get sick of them after a while.)
Hmm, I haven’t asked my dentist about my enamel, but I’ll try to ask about that at my next appointment (which is later this month, as it turns out).
And, is the coffee out for you because you’re concerned about discoloring your teeth or because you don’t like the taste of coffee?
I can’t stand the taste of coffee.
Well this really helps me. i was wondering if diet would be better because i went to the dentist yesterday and i have nine teeth that are decaying and will need root canals or extraction if i keep drinking soda and keep eating things with sugar not to mention flossing since i have a hard time with that.the late who cleaned my teeeth yesteday said to avoid abything with high fructose corn syrup and lots of sugar. so i thought i would try diet since i didn’t see any sugars or high fructose corn syrup in it. i am trying to avoid having another root canal done since i had my one root canal finished yesterday and that was the worst to go through. does anyone know what kind of flavored drinks i could have that is safe? i always have a hard time drinking just plain water and wnat flavored drinks. i’m too scared to go through a root canal again and don’t want to lose my teeth.
another question.
as long as i brush or rinse after i drink anythign with flavor or even soda that has acid in it will it be ok to rinse with hydrogen peroxide?
this may sound gross but i rinsed with hydrogen peroxide starting last night cause i was told it was good to do because it will kill bacteria and gum infections along with brushing teeth and flossing. i have some gum infections around some of my teeth and i want to get rid of it before it gets worse and gets in my blood stream in which if it does it can be deadly so it scares me.
i have a question with hydrogen peroxide, will it be good to rinse with hydrogen peroxide after you drink soda or flavored drinks?
this may sound gross but i rinsed with hydrogen peroxide last night because i have infections in some of my gums around my teeth and i was told it was good to do because it kills bacteria and infections in the gums. this scared me to see that i had infections when the lady who cleaned my teeth showed me. it can be deadly if it gets into the blood stream. so i was wondering if i can drink soda but always brush and rinse afterwards. it also helps whiten teeth from what i was taught so i figured instead of buying expensive brands to help fight infections and bacteria and whiten teeth i thought i would use it.
oops sorry i posted twice i didn’t see my post in the comments so i reposted sorry about that.:(
This really helped with my science fair
I am pretty sure it is not a good idea to rinse with hydrogen peroxide regularly. Use listerine or the new crest mouthwash. I have heard that to negate the effects of soda drinking even diet one should chew sugarless gum afterward. It actually cleans teeth (not as good as brushing and flossing of course). I also heard that one should wait at least an hour after driking acid drinks including orange juice to brush ones teeth because the acid and the brushing together can erode tooth enamel!!
I checked with my dentist and he said that sutudies show that the diet soda with phosphoric acid in them can harm the tooth enamel. Phosphoric acid is used in cleaning teeth for whitening. He added that if a diet sode drinker reads the labels on the can, they will find that there are several clear sodas that do not contain the phosphoric acid. They might contain citric acid, but that is no worse than eating an orange or drinking a citrus based drink. Also, diet root beer which is considered a dark soda does not contain the bad acid. Hope this helps clear up the acid question.
Q. But even diet soda contains acid from the carbonation (carbonic acid) as well as citric acid and even other forms of acid added to enhance the flavor. Why is it that diet soda doesn’t cause decay??
A. All the non sugar related acids in soda (including diet soda) are so soluble in water that they are washed off the teeth almost immediately before they can cause much decalcification of the tooth structure. On the other hand, the sugar in regular soda is very sticky and remains on the teeth for a long time. In addition, the bacteria in plaque use sugar as a raw material to create dextrans which is the viscous sticky stuff that makes plaque adhere to the teeth. The dextrans have the property of absorbing more sugar which is turned into acid by the plaque bacteria causing the plaque to remain acidic for twenty minutes or more after each exposure to sugar.
You should drink lots of water it is the best for your teeth! & If you want a little flavor you should add the liquid flavored SweetLeaf Stevia that has the most amazing flavor, 4 drops is all you need in a whole cup of water. If you add the root beer, vanilla, grape or orange in sparkling water you have your own healthy natural soda. Stevia has been found to help destroy harmful oral bacteria, reduce cavities, and stop bleeding gums. It is the stevioside (the sweetest component of the stevia leaf) that creates this process. The bacteria that cause the various gum diseases and tooth decay ingest the stevioside but are unable to digest it, so many of the bacteria die, which significantly reduces the living bacteria colonies in the mouth. The result is improved oral hygiene, including fewer cavities and less plaque. The exact opposite goes for sugar, the bacteria eat the sugar and quickly multiply creating tooth decay and many cavities.
Here is a recipe for homemade stevia toothpaste I found to love. I particularly like to add cinnamon to this recipe because cinnamon is anti-bacterial, and nothing takes garlic breath away as well.
Stevia Toothpaste:
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon white SweetLeaf stevia powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Blend the ingredients in a small glass jar. Scoop on a dampened toothbrush and brush as usual.
You could also use 2 drops of pepermint oil, oregano oil or wintergreen oil if you don’t care for cinnamon flavored toothpaste.
Hi. Although this doesn’t say a lot that you haven’t already discussed, I found it very helpful when I was exploring the same topic. I drink A LOT of diet pop, and have done so for several years. So far, enamel’s fine. However, I produce enormous amounts of saliva. That probably helps neutralize the acid (as the following page discusses). I’m like a St. Bernard.
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/diet_soda.htm
along with what “carmal color” and what it really is and what it causes.
To Jessica:
Maybe i have no idea of wot i am tlkin bout but in chemistry class(when i was listening)i hears tht hydrogen peroxide is really dangerous and not good to have in your mouth or body even if u spit it out.I m no doctor like i said but i hope u ll do some research or ask before using
I have tooth decay because of years of drinking one soda in a day.
If anyone is looking this up- dont drink soda that often. It really decays your teeth- dont even touch the regular or diet stuff.
Im addicted to sodas and will be for a long time- I tried to stop cold turkey but still have cravings for a soda a lot.
I have 4 thousand dollars worth of dental work to go through because of growing up with being given a soda whenever I wanted one. Im 22 years old and afraid I will loose my teeth by the time Im 30.
Im hoping to find something to drink besides sodas.
I am 26 and drink 6+ cans of diet coke a day….as a result I have had to have false backs put on my front teeth as they went see-through and now my dentist says if I do not act now in a few years I will have no teeth left at all.
It’s scary thought, so I only drink diet coke with a vodka…even then through a straw so it doesn’t stay in my mouth too long and very quickly. I use mouthwash to try to nutralise it.
Does anyone know of anything that is safe to drink apart fm water?
Thanks
c xx
I just asked at my dentist’s office if carbonated water would harm my teeth, and I was told that it wouldn’t. After reading about this issue, I question that answer, but I did get it from a dentist….
this web site is great but it is missing one thing…………………..what acidity means
I drink Dasani Natural Flavored Waters (I love the Raspberry especially). It’s not carbonated, no sugar (Splenda) and though it does have a but of Citric Acid and Malic Acid, it’s just like eating citris fruit – not much harm. It’s very sweet and keeps me hydrated with zero calories!
Also check out this site for details from a real dentist!
http://www.doctorspiller.com/Tooth_Decay.htm
Q. But even diet soda contains acid from the carbonation (carbonic acid) as well as citric acid and even other forms of acid added to enhance the flavor. Since these acids occur in diet soda as well as in sugared soda, why is it that diet soda doesn’t cause decay??
A. All the non sugar related acids in soda (including carbonic acid) are so soluble in water that they are washed off the teeth almost immediately before they can cause much decalcification of the tooth structure. On the other hand, the sugar in regular soda is very sticky and remains on the teeth for a long time. In addition, the bacteria in plaque use sugar as a raw material to create dextrans which are the molecular units composing the viscous sticky stuff that makes plaque adhere to the teeth. The dextrans have the property of absorbing more sugar which is turned into acid by the plaque bacteria causing the plaque to remain acidic for twenty minutes or more after each exposure to sugar.
I have never tried to dissolve a nail in a bottle of Coke, but if it did dissolve, it would be from the prolonged exposure of the iron to the carbonic acid from the carbonation in the soda, and not from the sugar. If a diet soda is drunk in the ordinary way, the carbonic acid caused by carbonation does NOT spend enough time in the mouth to damage the teeth. However if a patient habitually engages in soda-swishing, which is the habit of swishing the soda around in the mouth for prolonged periods before swallowing in order to remove the carbonation (because the carbonation hurts the throat), then over many years, the acids in even diet soda can cause serious erosion of the enamel and exposed dentin. Note that this form of erosion is NOT the same as decay. Decay is caused by bacterial action while erosion is caused by direct acid attack. Of course, soda swishing with regular sugared soda causes rampant decay as well as serious tooth erosion.
A couple people have hit it on the head (even though the info was taken from another site). Drinking the occasional diet soda, even once or twice a day will do little to erode your enamel. The acid isn’t on your teeth long enough to do much damage before it is washed away. However if you are a habitual diet soda drinker, drinking a one after the other, or you swish soda, you might have a problem. It’s the sugar in regular soda that causes the trouble.
I disagree, since I’ve been drinking diet pop, since 1998, and I drink a lot of it, I’ve had perfect healthy teeth and no cavities, and I’ve only been to the dentist twice in the past 10 years for teeth cleaning, because I feel I don’t need it. (2003, and 2008)
thanks herb for the info and recipe!
Use a straw. Problem solved.
[…] I will stop drinking Diet Coke: On the contrary, the slippery slope is gettin’ ever slipperier. I’m buying six-packs by the six-pack. I’m guzzling the stuff like it’s going out of style. It’s only a matter of time before I’m toothless. […]
I just brushed my teeth with Stevia. It kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Now that’s SWEET.
[…] once again, I was proven wrong on the whole teeth thing. Turns out diet soda is just as bad for your teeth as regular. Apparently, the acids and various cancer-causing agents in diet pop wreak […]
You gotta try this just tried some tart cherry juice concentrate to my soda stream. It incredible ordered some from Traverse Bay Farms and added in 4 oz. to my lastest batch.Outstanding!
From what I understand, carbonic acid isn’t so much a problem in carbonated drinks, it’s more the citric and phosphoric acids that cause erosion.
Not enough info on what diet soda does. What is in it? Why does the acid harm it? Please put more information on this.
you guys really helped on my science fair project thank you