by Andrea Harris
I’m sitting here with a glass of ginger ale, sipping away happily on the nectar of the gods. I know I shouldn’t drink it. I really do. But I love it. With. My. Heart. And yet the little voice in the back of my head tells me that I shouldn’t. Soda is TERRIBLE for you.
When I was in 5th grade, I entered my elementary school science fair with an experiment where I dissolved bits of steak in soda to show the effects of carbonation on the lining of your stomach. It was completely disgusting, actually. For every passerby, I would use my tweezers to pull the disintegrating flesh out of it’s little soda bath. By the end of the fair, the meat was just a jiggly mass covered in little bubble bites. I remember thinking I would never drink soda again. EVER. Except on the 4th of July. And New Year’s Eve. And maybe tomorrow. Aww, nuts. I’m weak.
But let’s get real for a minute here. I also have 5, count ‘em 5 crowns. And I’m 30 something or another. That’s too many. And I still can’t drink a really cold glass of water. It’s agony.
“Soda can do some remarkable damage to your teeth. Some research suggests it may be just as corrosive to teeth as drinking battery fluid, and this can occur as soon as the first three minutes of consumption. This is caused by a combination of mostly three factors, one is the sugar (which is really a minor factor compared to the others) then comes the phosphoric acid present in some sodas and finally the staining effect that they can have on your teeth.
The sugar problem is caused by acid creating bacteria on the surface of your teeth that feed on sugar and use it to create acid, which destroys your teeth. The sugar in sodas is easily used by the teeth as opposed to the sugars in say, whole grain bread which does not break down in the mouth.
The phosphoric acid is worth avoiding in general. This is the same substance that dentists use to scour enamel so you know it's effective in removing it. Of course it's not present in the same concentrations as in a dental application but it could be worth avoiding all the same. Erosion is far more harmful than decay, and can cause hypersentivity.
Finally comes the cavities and the staining of the teeth. Sodas add layers of sugars to your teeth that create plaque and offer food for hordes of bacteria that happen to be in your mouth. Over time this layer can produce a yellowed effect on your teeth that is unsightly and will need to be treated by a dentist.”
Those are some sobering facts, right? Who in their right mind would ever think to drink battery acid? No one! So, even if you’re one of those people who just has to have that afternoon Diet Coke to make it through the day, your teeth and Dr. Matthews would probably thank you if you even cut back to one or two of those a week. And don’t forget to use a straw! It helps reduce the amount of soda your teeth are bathing in. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I have some soda to pour down the sink...
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