The Worst Drinks for Your Oral Health

Your teeth are some of the most important bones in your body. They make sure you can chew, speak, and smile. Without your teeth, your nutrition, self-esteem, and facial structure would all suffer. Drinking the wrong beverages can put those pearly whites at risk.

Dr. Padmaja Yalamanchili of Fairfax Family Dentist in Fairfax, Virginia, can help you understand the risks of different drinks for your oral health, and help you remove stains from past indiscretions with professional tooth whitening.

The worst drinks for your oral health

Drinking water is the best thing for you, period. Hydration is critical to all of your bodily functions, and won’t do any harm to your teeth. However, people have been creating different beverages since the dawn of time. Here are today’s worst drinks for your oral health, in no particular order.

Cola, soda, or pop

Depending on where you live, the name is different but the idea is the same, carbonated, surgery liquid that can be any of a wide range of colors or flavors. Not only do these drinks have a high sugar content plus carbonation (a sure fire path to tooth decay), but dark colas also have high acidity that can seriously soften and damage your tooth enamel.

Coffee

Drinking coffee on a regular basis can both slowly wear away at your enamel, allowing grooves and rough spots to appear, and stain your teeth heavily, leading to a brown, unattractive appearance. Coffee isn't as acidic as cola, but heat in the drink can make the effects stronger than if it’s drunk cold.

Sweet tea

If you’re from the South, sweet tea has probably been a staple for most of your life. Try limiting how much sugar you add, and try using flavoring like lemon, mint, and even unsweetened fruit syrups to satisfy your need for a tasty tea drink.

Kombucha

Natural, vinegar-based drinks have become more and more popular as a healthy option for those who tire of water, water, water. Although packed with beneficial probiotics, these drinks can be dangerous for your teeth due to their low pH and highly acidic nature, which can leach minerals from your teeth and erode the enamel. 

Mimosas

The favorite of brunch-goers everywhere, the mimosa is a very bad drink for your teeth. The sugar, the acidic juice, and the carbonation work together to attack your teeth, so follow up with plenty of nonfizzy water to wash your mouth clean.  

Energy drinks

Finally, workaholics love energy drinks, but your teeth certainly don’t. Again, this is an acidity issue: Energy drinks are extremely acidic, and will eat through your tooth enamel like a bunny through a head of lettuce. Another issue: Energy drinks can wind you up enough that you start clenching and grinding your teeth, and this can cause unevenness and even hairline cracks in your teeth. 

Turning over a new leaf when it comes to what you drink? Need your teeth cleaned and/or whitened so your smile matches your shiny new resolution? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Yalamanchili by calling 703-213-5313 or book an appointment online.