While sports drinks are popular, drinking too many of them is not very helpful for your teeth. They can put you at higher risk of getting cavities and enamel erosion.
The things that cause these risks are the sugars and acid level present in the drinks. These risks increase even more if you are dehydrated when you drink them.
Sugar is everywhere, and it is an important part of our diet, but too much of it can lead to cavities. Bacteria in your mouth really like sugar, and they make enamel-eroding acids that form cavities when they eat sugar. The more sugar in your mouth, the more acids the bacteria can make, sadly.
They also have quite the acidity to them. This acidity can lead to demineralization of your enamel, which leads to further erosion.
Exercising leads to dehydration, which reduces the amount of saliva in your mouth. Saliva is a helpful tool for steadily removing things like sugar and acid from your teeth. If there is not enough of it when you down a sports drink, then the sugar and acid can stick around longer to cause more problems.
Now understand that drinking these kinds of beverages on sparse occasions will not be too much of a problem, but drinking them frequently can. We suggest that you drink more water instead of reaching for a sports drink. Water has none of the negative effects on your teeth, and it provides all you really need when exercising or playing sports.
For more advice about taking better care of your teeth, come see us at Gateway Oaks Dental in Sacramento, California. Our dentists, Dr. Hoang Truong and Dr. Asma Sajid can help you keep your mouth and teeth in good shape. If you need to contact us, call 916-649-0249.
