Dental News - Soda and illegal drugs cause similar damage to teeth

Dental Tribune USA

Tue. 28 May 2013

save

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: Drinking large quantities of carbonated soda could be as damaging to a person’s teeth as methamphetamine and crack cocaine use. The consumption of illegal drugs and abusive intake of soda can cause similar damage to the mouth through the process of tooth erosion, according to a case study published in the March/April 2013 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

Tooth erosion occurs when acid wears away tooth enamel, which is the glossy, protective outside layer of the tooth. Without the protection of enamel, teeth are more susceptible to developing cavities, as well as becoming sensitive, cracked, and discolored.

The General Dentistry case study compared the damage in three individuals’ mouths — an admitted user of methamphetamine, a previous longtime user of cocaine, and an excessive diet soda drinker. Each participant admitted to having poor oral hygiene and not visiting a dentist on a regular basis. Researchers found the same type and severity of damage from tooth erosion in each participant’s mouth.

“Each person experienced severe tooth erosion caused by the high acid levels present in their ‘drug’ of choice — meth, crack or soda,” says Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, MSc, PhD, lead author of the study. “The citric acid present in both regular and diet soda is known to have a high potential for causing tooth erosion.”

Similar to citric acid, the ingredients used in preparing methamphetamine can include extremely corrosive materials, such as battery acid, lantern fuel, and drain cleaner. Crack cocaine is highly acidic in nature, as well.

The individual who abused soda consumed 2 liters of diet soda daily for three to five years. Says Bassiouny, “The striking similarities found in this study should be a wake-up call to consumers who think that soda — even diet soda — is not harmful to their oral health.”

AGD Spokesperson Eugene Antenucci, DDS, FAGD, recommends that his patients minimize their intake of soda and drink more water. Additionally, he advises them to either chew sugar-free gum or rinse the mouth with water following consumption of soda. “Both tactics increase saliva flow, which naturally helps to return the acidity levels in the mouth to normal,” he says.

(Source: AGD)

To post a reply please login or register

Crayfish found to have substance on teeth similar to human enamel

NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: A team of Israeli and German scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and ...

Identifying and responding to the drug-endangered child

As drug use and abuse has risen throughout the United States, dental professionals find themselves faced with increasing requests to assist in the response ...

Study: Obstructive sleep apnea tied to weaker bones and teeth in adults

Obstructive sleep apnea may be linked to low bone mineral density in adults, according to University at Buffalo-led research. The findings are crucial for ...

Patients, their teeth and type 2 diabetes

BUFFALO, NY, US: In a study published in PLOS ONE and further demonstrating the link between dental care and full-body care, University at Buffalo ...

Dentists should limit staff access to drugs

TUCSON, USA: Dental offices and the pharmaceuticals used there present the risk of drug abuse, but dentists can put policies in place that help reduce the ...

Another reason to stay in shape: Healthy teeth and gums

CHICAGO, IL / NEW YORK, NY, USA: The health complications of being overweight, such as increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers,...

Dental Professor receives US$1.2 million to study bones and teeth

NEW YORK, USA: Dr Timothy Bromage, a New York University College of Dentistry professor whose research on the microanatomical structure of ancestral human ...

Top dentists come together to save natural teeth

CHICAGO, Ill., USA: “How can I save my tooth?” is one of the most significant questions a patient can ask. In an unprecedented move, the ...

GPS technology to map bat teeth

Biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have “mapped” the topography of bat teeth. The clever use of GPS technology has been ...

America’s ToothFairy and Septodont seal children’s teeth

CHARLOTTE, N.C., USA: The ToothFairy is flying a little higher these days, thanks to a commitment from international dental product manufacturer Septodont, ...

Education

Live webinar
Thu. 18 July 2024
8:00 PM EST (New York)