Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Is Diet Soda as Bad for Your Teeth as Drugs?



Are you aware of the dangers that diet soda poses to the health of your teeth? According to Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny, who is a professor of restorative dentistry at the Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, heavy consumption of diet soda can damage teeth just as badly as harmful drugs like methamphetamine and crack cocaine.

Why does this occur?

It may not seem to make sense that a beverage so commonly consumed could cause similar dental issues as something as harmful as illegal street drugs. However, the cause behind the issue is easy to understand. Bassiouny states the following in a study published in the journal “General Dentistry,” which explains the correlation between diet soda and drugs:

“Crack cocaine, methamphetamine and soda (sweetened or not) are all highly acidic and cause similar dental issues.”

In his study, Bassiouny discovered that women in their 30s who drank 2 liters of diet soda daily for at least three to five years will experience decay similar to those suffered by a 29-year-old methamphetamine addict or a 51-year-old habitual crack cocaine user.

The good news:

For those of us who love our diet drinks and hate to think of life without them, there is hope. It is possible to enjoy a diet soda if we make sure it is in moderation. Bassiouny's study followed women who drink 2 liters of soda daily, which is more than the average soda drinker consumes.

Also, if you drink diet soda, be sure that you have good oral hygiene habits and proper dental hygiene. It is very possible that Bassiouny's study subjects were not taking care of their dental health.

If you have a diet soda habit that you just can't shake, it is extra important to take care of your teeth with proper brushing and flossing habits and regular visits to your dentist. Schedule an appointment with your Washington DC dentist SmileDesigner so that we can identify if your diet soda habits are causing damage to your teeth. And if they are, we can take steps to repair the damage and help you develop better dental health habits.

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