It is reasonably well known that fizzy drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and juices can contain high amounts of sugar and it is no secret that sugar is bad for your teeth.

But did you know that these drinks can also be highly acidic?

Acid causese tooth erosion.  Normally in your mouth, there is a pH of 7 (neutral).  The enamel on your teeth starts dissolving at pH 5.5.  Stomach acid has a pH close to 1, very similar to battery acid.  The pH of most carbonated drinks is pretty close to 3.

See the problem?

The way the pH scale works means these drinks are 100x more acidic than the pH your teeth start dissolving at.

The key is moderation.  I myself sometimes enjoy a diet coke.  If you are having one of these drinks try and minimise the time your teeth are bathing in acid, ie swallow it quickly and don't continually sip it over a long period of time.  Another effective tool is to rinse your mouth with water after drinking the acidic drink.  Also do not brush your teeth immediately after drinking acidic drinks, or vomitting for that matter.

Frequent consumption of acidic drinks leads to pitting (see photo), thinning and shortening of teeth, discolouration and sensititvity.  Additionally if there is sugar in the drink, this feeds any plaque on your teeth which make acid and your teeth get a double whammy!