Make Healthy Choices for Your Smile

Why do you take a shower? You take a shower to rinse your body clean of all the dirt, grime, and germs you encounter each day. The water covers your body, and the dirty water flushes away down the drain. This is a wonderful way to cleanse your body and feel refreshed.

However, let’s look at essentially the same concept with a much different result. You are thirsty, so you pick up the nearest beverage and take a few sips. As you are drinking, you are covering your teeth in liquid – essentially bathing them. Depending on what you chose to drink, you are either harming your smile or benefiting it.

Sugary Drinks Damage Your Smile

When you are thirsty, there are numerous options to choose from. Yet, most of the options on your local grocery store aisle are not going to promote a healthy smile. Soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and alcohol all contain high amounts of sugar and acids that lead to severe oral health issues. High-sugared drinks will leave your teeth vulnerable to cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. Fruit juice is another beverage option that sounds healthy, but it is also laden with sugar.

Sugar is your smile’s worst enemy. Oral bacteria are present inside the mouth, and they thrive off sugar particles left behind after you eat and drink. Oral bacteria congregate in massive quantities around sugar particles, and as they collect, they begin producing acids to help them break down the sugar particles. Acids are ultimately what cause damage to your smile. Acids wear down tooth enamel, leaving holes (i.e., cavities) in the teeth. Acids also lead to tooth decay and gum disease, both irreversible once the damage has gone too far.

If you frequently consume soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks, or alcohol, you need to be mindful of their impact on your smile. Avoiding these beverages is the healthiest option, but we understand that it is not realistic. Therefore, after you occasionally indulge in a sugary, acidic beverage, you need to rinse your mouth with water to wash away much of the damaging elements.

At ConfiDENT, your entire oral health is our priority. If you are concerned that your beverage choices have contributed to an unhealthy smile, contact us today. We offer comprehensive treatments to restore the health and beauty of your smile.