One of the most commonly asked questions is: How harmful is sugar and soda on my teeth? The answer: Very! Not only do these foods and drinks create staining and cavities; they can also affect your entire health. According to some reports, the following finding should be plenty to make you pause and think before picking up a sugar-loaded beverage:
- A liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about 56 mg of methanol. When several are consumed in a short period of time, as much as 250 mg of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream – 32 times the EPA limit
- Children who consume an extra soft drink a day increase their chance of becoming obese by 60 percent. Furthermore, specific amounts of soda can be linked to specific amounts of weight gain. Each daily drink adds .18 points to a child’s body mass index (BMI)
- Aspartame contains methyl or wood alcohol, which can affect fetal brain development, and children who drink large quantities of diet sodas containing aspartame are particularly vulnerable to its dangerous side effects.
- Cola drinks can interact adversely with antacids, which can cause constipation, calcium loss, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and kidney damage
- Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems, especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks. All kinds of bone problems can occur with prolonged calcium deficiency, which causes a decrease in bone mass.
- Rickets in children (a disease of growing bone), osteomalacia (decreased bone calcium) in adults, and osteoporosis (porous and fragile bones) can occur when calcium is withdrawn from bones faster than it is deposited. Fractures are more common with osteoporosis and almost eight million yearly in the United States are related to this prevalent nutritional deficiency disease.
If you would like more information on how to protect your teeth and general health from illness, please schedule an appointment with your dentist. You may call my office to make an appointment and further discuss your dental health.