It’s old news that sugary soda is bad for your teeth. Obviously, all the sugar in soda is a big contributor to tooth decay and gum disease. Armed with this knowledge, some people think that they can avoid this problem by drinking only sugar-free soda. Unfortunately, this is not the fix that they think it is. Our Bellevue dentistry cautions you to take as much care with sugar-free sodas as you would with sugary beverages.
The truth is that it is not only the sugar content of soda that is detrimental to your teeth. The carbonation is also doing your mouth no favors. Carbonated beverages like soda are highly acidic, and this acid has a high potential to break down your tooth enamel. In many drinks, this acid is doing more damage than the sugar itself. You can minimize this damage by chasing an acidic beverage with a calcium-rich drink, like milk, and stick to drinking water between meals as much as you can manage.