Sport energy drinks bad for teeth

From Sun Media:

Sport energy drinks may give your body a boost but they can wreak havoc on your teeth -- even more so than conventional soft drinks like Coke or Pepsi, a study says. This study found the enamel damage caused by non-cola and sports beverages was three to 11 times greater than cola-based drinks, with energy drinks and bottled lemonades causing the most harm to dental enamel.

Non-cola and canned ice teas were actually more harmful to dental enamel than cola.

"Enamel erosion doesn't happen overnight. When you eat or drink anything, it takes 30 minutes for saliva to recover to its natural protective range," said lead author Dr. J. Anthony von Fraunhofer, professor of biomaterials science at the University of Maryland Dental School.

Most cola-based drinks may contain one or more acids. However sports beverages contain other addictive and organic acids that can advance dental erosion, according to the study. These organic acids are potentially very erosive to dental enamel because of their ability to break down calcium, which is needed to strengthen teeth and prevent gum disease.

"When drinking a soft drink people tend to sip it continuously instead of all at once. This does not allow the mouth to recover and the acid stays there because you keep refreshing it when you take another sip," van Fraunhofer said. "If you're going to drink this stuff, don't sip it. Drink it down quickly and try to rinse with water afterwards.

"It's not a good idea to brush your teeth because the toothpaste is too abrasive."

The study, published in General Dentistry, exposed enamel from cavity-free teeth to a variety of popular sports beverages, including energy drinks, fitness water and sports drinks, as well as non-cola beverages, such as lemonade and ice tea for a period of 14 days. The exposure was comparable to approximately 13 years of normal consumption.

The drinks which cause the most damage to the enamel are: KMX energy drink, Snapple lemonade, Red Bull, Gatorade lemon-lime, Powerade Arctic Shatter, Arizona Ice Tea, Fanta Orange, then Pepsi and Coke.