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There are many substances that are consumed every day by Americans that are actually very bad for their teeth. Of these, one of the worst and yet most consumed is coke. Statistics show that nearly half of Americans of all ages drink at least one coke per day. That said, we believe this number would be much lower if these people were only aware of the many dangerous effects that excessive coke consumption can cause. In fact, coke can actually lead to widespread tooth decay, which can end up requiring that you have teeth extracted in order to prevent the condition from spreading to more of your teeth. Today, Dr. Matthew Huff is blogging to speak to Hill Country, TX area patients about the ways that coke works to compromise their oral health.
Don’t Let Coke Ruin Your Smile
Coke attacks our teeth in two main ways. The first of these is through its high sugar content. Every time you drink a coke, sugar ends up plastered to your teeth. What makes sugar dangerous for our teeth is the fact that it attracts bacteria, which then uses this sugar as fuel to create acids. These acids then proceed to eat away at the enamel protecting the inner layers of your teeth. This process is called tooth decay, some symptoms of which include chronic bad breath, off-color spots on your teeth, and toothaches.
The second way that coke attacks your teeth is through its carbonation. In order to carbonate coke, carbonic acid has to be used. Much like the acid produced by bacteria on your teeth, carbonic acid is capable of eating away at the various layers of your teeth. In fact, every time you drink a coke, your teeth are exposed to a 20 to 30-minute-long acid attack from the carbonation. Enough of these attacks can leave your teeth stripped of enamel and defenseless against more dangerous oral conditions.
Despite seeing how bad coke is for their teeth, many patients are still unwilling to give the tasty treat up. For these patients, there are some steps they can take to lessen the damage their teeth take. These are:
- Drink coke through a straw in order to prevent your teeth from getting directly hit by it.
- Drink your coke quickly so that your teeth do not take a second or third acid attack.
- Drink water directly after finishing your coke as doing so can wash away some of the sugar and carbonation left on your teeth.
Call and Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Huff
If you have lost teeth because of too much coke consumption, or for any other reason, then we recommend you consider treating your missing teeth with dental implants. The reason we recommend implants to our restoration patients is because they are the only treatment that provides comfort and stability equivalent to that of natural teeth. If you would like to learn more about this treatment, contact our Kerrville or Fredericksburg office and schedule a no-obligation consultation with Dr. Matthew Huff today.
