Dental Tips: Rethink Your Sugary Drink

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages not only affects your oral health. Above and beyond tooth decay and cavities, SSB (or sugar-sweetened beverages) can also result in other health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

So, how much sugar is in your favourite thirst-quenchers?

Soft Drinks

Coca-Cola (355 ml can) – 39 grams

Mountain Dew (355 ml can) – 47 grams

Energy Drinks

Rockstar Energy Drink (473 ml can) – 62 grams

Red Bull Energy Drink (245 ml can) – 27 grams

Fountain Drinks

7-Eleven Coca-Cola Big Gulp – 91 grams

7-Eleven Coca-Cola Super Big Gulp – 146 grams

Juice Drinks

Golden Circle Tropical Fruit (591 ml bottle) – 70 grams

Snapple Lemon Iced Tea (473 ml bottle) – 46 grams

Daily Juice Orange (591 ml bottle) – 48 grams

Milk Drinks

Nesquik Chocolate Milk (473 ml bottle) – 58 grams

Vita Soy Milk (240 ml) – 18 grams

Alcoholic Drink

Mike’s Hard Lemonade (330 ml bottle) – 30 grams

Pay attention to what you drink. Pick healthy alternatives to sugary drinks. Choose to stay healthy and live well.

Foods To Avoid

Coffee

Coffee contains tannins. Tannins cause pigment compounds to stick to your teeth. When these compounds stick, they can cause discolouration leaving an unwanted yellow hue behind. It only takes one cup of coffee per day to cause stains on the teeth. Coffee can stain teeth more severely than tobacco.

Soda

Consumption of regular and diet soda has been linked with tooth erosion and decay.

Wine

Both red and white wines contain erosive acids that allow stains to penetrate teeth deeply.

Hard & Chewy Candy

Hard and chewy candies saturate your mouth with sugar over several minutes, giving bacteria plenty of time to proliferate.

Citrus Fruits & Juices

Citrus fruits are nutritious in many ways, but their highly acidic content can wear tooth enamel away over time. Make sure to drink plenty of water after eating citrus fruits to help lessen adverse effects.

Foods to Eat

Strawberries

Strawberries contain malic acid, a natural teeth enamel whitener.

Spinach & Leafy Greens

Leafy greens such as spinach essentially “scrub” your teeth as you chew them.

Cheese

Cheese is a delicious source of enamel-strengthening calcium.

Water

Drinking lots of water helps flush sugar and harmful acids off of your teeth. Many sources of water also contain fluoride, which protects teeth against erosion.

Apples & Pears

Crunchy apples can scrub away plaque and freshen breath, while fresh pears neutralise acids in your mouth.

Celery

Loaded with fibrous strands, celery is “nature’s floss,” stimulating saliva production.

Sugar-Free Gum

Chewing gum, particularly gum sweetened with xylitol, stimulates saliva production, which washes away acids produced by bacteria in your mouth.

We are a family friendly North Lakes dentist serving patients of every age in North Lakes, Deception Bay, Murrumba Downs, Griffin, Mango Hill, Redcliffe, Narangba, Petrie, Burpengary, and Bracken Ridge.

Call us on (07) 3465 1199 or visit us at Unit 4/6 Endeavour Boulevard in North Lakes.