Sugary Drinks are a Rotten Choice

Posted on 23rd January 2020

The Australian Dental Association of WA has teamed up with LiveLighter^® to create a new campaign to help ditch sugary drinks and help to keep dentist visits quick and painless. Dr Rebecca Williams, paediatric dentist, gives us the rundown on why sugary drinks are a rotten choice.

Why are sugary drinks bad for my teeth?

The bacteria in our mouths converts the sugar hanging around into acid that damages teeth – this is called dental decay and is what makes cavities that eventually need to be filled. Sugary drinks are particularly damaging because they provide a big dose of sugar and are consumed between meals and sipped frequently. This means that our saliva doesn’t have the chance to do its normal “tooth repair” job between sugary hits.

Many sugary drinks (like soft drinks and fruit drinks) are also acidic which can also wear away teeth. Even sugar-free and diet drinks can be harmful to teeth if they’re acidic.

Everyone has fillings – what’s the problem?

Australians over 15 years have an average of 12.8 decayed, missing and filled teeth and only 1 in 10 adults has no dental decay in their permanent teeth. It’s a big issue!

Dental decay can cause tooth sensitivity, severe pain and infection.  This can interfere with the ability to eat, sleep and concentrate at school or work.  In severe cases, infection can spread and cause major medical problems.  Dental decay can also cause bad breath, be unsightly and expensive to repair. In advanced cases, teeth may fall out or need to be removed. There’s also emerging evidence that good oral health is important for heart health!

But never fear – dental decay is preventable! Eating well, making smart drink choices and having good dental hygiene will go a long way to keeping your mouth healthy.

Sugary drinks and kids

An Australian study found that young children drinking 3 or more sugary drinks have 47% more decayed, missing or filled teeth than children who had no sugary drinks. Kids who drink more soft drink are also at higher risk of having to have their baby teeth extracted. Sugary drinks are energy-dense, nutrient-poor and bad for teeth. For most kids, there’s no room for them in the daily diet – and yet around 7% of Aussie kids are having them every day. Sugary drinks are the biggest contributor to total sugar in our diets. Do your kids (and yourself!) a favour and don’t buy them as part of the regular grocery shop.

How can I reduce the tooth damage from sugary drinks?

1. AVOID THEM. Choose unsweetened drinks. Tap water is the best choice for teeth as it’s sugar-free and the fluoride has a protective effect.
2. Drink them with a meal, and avoid sipping sugary drinks over a long period of time.
3. Chew sugar-free gum after drinking a sugary drink.
4. Brush teeth 30 mins after drinking a sugary drink.
5. Build good habits early. For children, stick to plain milk and water from an open cup.

As a paediatric dentist, we work hard to make our clinic a happy place that kids enjoy coming to – that’s an important part of making dental health a priority for life!

But as much as we love seeing you, we’d rather not be filling baby teeth and extracting rotten teeth. Prevention is better than cure!

Adapted with permission from LiveLighter. LiveLighter® State of Western Australia 2020. Originally published on LiveLighter website.