The effects of cola on your teeth

While many of us are aware of how sweets and chocolates are bad for your teeth, many people aren’t aware of the fact that most people get most of their sugar from soft drinks, sodas, and the most popular of them is cola. While the sight of a caramel or a candy bar obviously has connotations of tooth decay associated with it, soft drinks do not have this stigma. This is bad as soda is just as bad if not worse for your teeth than sweets.

Why is cola bad for your teeth?

Cola, regardless of brand is absolutely horrible for your teeth. It is that rare mix of acidic and sugary at the same time that makes it so incredibly bad for them. Not only does cola harm your enamel by being way too acidic for it, it also has more sugar than pretty much anything else (more than a candy bar), meaning it strengthens the bacteria in your mouth giving them tons of food and speeding up their metabolism and rate of multiplication. This means that it weakens your natural defenses while strengthening the bacteria at the same time. The carbolic acid in cola and in all carbonated soft drinks dissolves the calcium in your enamel, weakening it and putting it at risk of tooth decay. Caffeine and other products that are in it are very bad as well, as they cause the gums to shrivel, which further reduces the ability to defend.

Carbonation and stains

The teeth of a frequent cola drinker tell a story of just how bad this substance really is for the mouth. It only will there be acid damage on all of the teeth, but there will be much more cavities as well, because of the sugar. But cola also stains teeth. This is because they use burnt caramel as a colouring agent, otherwise cola would be clear (just remember Pepsi Crystal, if you’re old enough). Since your enamel will be damaged from the acid wear of the beverage, it is a lot easier for the caramel to dye your teeth that signature dark brown, reddish hue that cola comes in.

Protect yourself

Do not drink sugary drinks very often, as they are terrible for your teeth and your oral health in general (they are also a leading cause of obesity, diabetes and bone problems, as they dissolve not only the calcium in your teeth, but leech it from your bones as well). If you do drink them, rinse out your mouth afterwards thoroughly. Do not brush as your weakened enamel will be further damaged by the bristles on your toothbrush. But rinsing out your mouth will prevent the bacteria from proliferating, as it will remove the sugar they feed on and the biofilm they live in.

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