Dental Health: What you Really Need to Know
Got Water?
As a dental hygienist and a parent, I am concerned that the media portrays certain drinks as healthy but overlooks the true effects these high calorie, high sugar drinks have on the teeth and the human body as a whole.
On average men, women, and children in the United States ingests 192 gallons of liquids a year (3.7 gallons a week/2 liters per day). Carbonated soft drinks account for approximately 28% of the 3.7 gallons per week and fruit beverages, sport drinks, and tea make up another 19.8%.
In today’s society a healthy beverage is one that may contain natural ingredients or no added color. In my opinion, the term has been abused and these healthy beverages contribute to the recent increase in obesity and type II diabetes. Obesity has been identified as an epidemic in the United States and is defined as having so much body fat that your health is in danger. You can use a measurement called a body mass index (BMI) to decide whether your weight is dangerous to your health. It is generally agreed that men with more than 25% body fat and women with more than 33% body fat are obese. The BMI can be estimated using the following formula:
Bodyfat % = 1.2 x BMI + 0.23 x age ? 5.4 ? 10.8 x gender
(where gender is 0 if female and 1 if male)
In the United States, 65% of the current population is clinically obese or overweight. Obesity in the adult population has doubled since 1980. When you take in more calories than you burn off, you gain weight. How you eat, how active you are, and other things affect how your body uses calories and whether you gain weight. The single biggest source of sugar in the current American diet comes from flavored beverages, which accounts for 7% of all calories.
The following is a breakdown of the ingredients in a can of soda (12 fl. Oz.):
1 10 teaspoons of sugar
2 150 calories
3 30-35 milligrams of caffeine
4 Artificial food colors/flavors
5 Phosphoric acid/citric acid
6 Aspartame (sugar-free beverages)
The other issue with flavored beverages is the high Ph levels and the effect these levels have on the teeth. The average Ph of soft drinks/sport drinks fall between 2.3-3.4. This range can be directly responsible for a significant increase in tooth demineralization. The accepted thought has been that sport drinks are safer and “healthier” than soft drinks but this is a myth. Sport drinks and fitness waters are no safer than soft drinks when it comes to Ph levels. For daily, average amounts of exercise floridated water is effective for proper hydration and is a natural, truly healthy choice for individuals of all ages.
-Laura Harris, R.D.H.