Scientific research in the field of dentistry has been focusing, for several years now, on the correlation between tooth wear and diet, two recent studies have confirmed the negative role of carbonated beverages on dental health.
Wear of teeth and carbonated drinks
A study published in the June issue of Journal of Public Health Dentistry has highlighted the effects of acidic food and drink intake on dental enamel in the adult population.
The research was carried out on a sample of 3586 adults, all aged 18 or over. Subjects were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program between 2003 and 2004, a time frame in which data on food habits and dental health were collected and analyzed.
The study involved the administration of four types of acidic foods and beverages:
- fruit;
- fruit juices;
- alcoholic beverages;
- carbonated drinks.
In addition to the feeding of the food, the type of consumption was also recorded: main meals or short snacks, depending on the energy intake.
Results of the study
The researchers highlighted tooth wear by classifying it with an index of severity that is directly proportional to the surface of the teeth compromised and worn.
After collecting and analyzing the data, the following correlations emerged:
The intake of carbonated beverages is closely connected with the wear of the teeth regardless of the time of intake. Whether it’s main meals or snacks, carbonated beverages are always to be considered as a corrosive element of dental enamel.
As fruit and juices, there is no evidence of direct correlation.
This datum warns against the regular intake of carbonated soft drinks while, as regards fruit and fruit juices, it is probable that the effects are not decisive thanks to compensation with other basic foods and drinks.
In a diversified food diet, the intake of acidic foods and drinks is alternated with that of basic foods that act as buffer agents. Saliva, in these cases, plays a fundamental role because it is able to balance the ph of the oral cavity, maintaining the right balance and avoiding in this way that the bacteria can proliferate quickly.
Carbonated soft drinks, on the other hand, are often taken without food and in any case their chemical composition, mainly focused on acid substances, cannot be contrasted or buffered by the saliva ph. During the study it was also highlighted that if taken before going to sleep, carbonated soft drinks may have a greater impact on tooth wear.
The advice is therefore to limit the consumption of carbonated beverages and periodically check the state of wear of the enamel.
