This is a follow-up post to a question we posted yesterday on the DentaLux Facebook Page. We asked our Fans if diet soft drink is better for your teeth than regular soft drink, and their answer was a unanimous “false!” Our fans were correct, diet soda and regular soda are equally as bad for your teeth.
Many people may think that diet soda is better for your teeth than regular soda because of the lowered sugar content. Well, all sodas have some sugar, which is bad for your teeth, and all sodas also have carbonic acid to give that fresh, carbonated, fizzy effect. Carbonic acid wreaks havoc on tooth enamel, causing it to wear down much faster than if you drink non-carbonated beverages like milk or water.
You might be thinking that carbonation is actually good for your teeth because the bubbles help break apart plaque, but this is just a common misconception. The pH of carbonic acid can do a lot of harm to teeth over the long run.
Let’s compare some numbers. Tooth enamel is safe until the acidity of the drink falls lower than a pH of 5.2. Water has a pH of 7.0, causing us no harm. On the other hand, the pH of a regular Coke drink is 2.63 and the pH of a Diet Coke is 3.39. Both fall well under that 5.2 mark.
Like with all other foods and drinks, the ones that can cause damage to your teeth will only have extreme negative affects if you fail to practice good dental hygiene by brushing regularly, rinsing your mouth with water after your consume a sugary or acidic food or drink, and forego flossing. Taking care of your teeth can help you to prevent things like fillings, root canals and dental implants.
If you have any questions about this article, or about proper dental hygiene, please contact the professionals at DentaLux today!
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