With July here summertime is in full swing. This means that the bathing suits are bound to come out and people all over are going to be taking their waistlines a little more into consideration.
With hat being said, dental implant provider Dr. Barksdale and the rest of his staff have been hearing quite a few patients come in and claim they are switching to diet sodas and other sugar-free snacks in order to help them shed a few inches.
Normally, we wouldn’t pay too much mind to statements like these. However, due to the sheer volume of them we are hearing, we have decided to explain why switching to sugar-free treats may not actually be doing you any favors, especially in regards to your oral health.
Avoid Artificial Sweeteners for Your Mouth’s Sake
Now, you might be wondering how something without any sugar in it could possibly pose any kind of threat to your oral health.
The answer might surprise you.
The University of Melbourne’s Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre had released a conclusive study that proves the chemicals used to make sugar-free snacks taste sweet can, and will, damage your tooth enamel if consumed too often.
How?
Well, it all has to do with acidic additives. Researchers tested twenty-three different types of sugar-free beverages. The ones tested include diet coke and various sugar-free versions of sports drinks like Gatorade. The results came back as conclusively showing that the artificial sweeteners in these drinks can soften your enamel by thirty for fifty percent for a period of time. This leaves your teeth vulnerable to other forms of infection brought on by otherwise normal daily use.
Professor Eric Reynolds, one of the authors on University of Melbourne’s study and the CEO of the Oral Health Cooperative Research center explains this discovery by stating “Many people are not aware that while reducing your sugar intake does reduce your risk of dental decay, the chemical mix of acids in some foods and drinks can cause the equally damaging condition of dental erosion.”
How’s that for interesting
Thirty-two different types of sugar-free candies that are available commercially nearly everywhere you go. The results found were equally as interesting as those found in the tests done on sugar-free drinks. The researchers discovered that treats with a tangy taste were capable of doing the most damage.
The reason for this is because these candies not only contain phosphoric acid but citric acid as well. both of these ingredients lend the candy its sweet and tangy taste but can both do some serious damage to your enamel.
“Many sugar-free confections, even some with ‘tooth friendly’ certification, contain high levels of citric acid and have erosive potential,” explained researchers. “In its early stages erosion strips away the surface layers of tooth enamel. If it progresses to an advanced stage it can expose the soft pulp inside the tooth.”
Our suggestion to those of you who are both looking to preserve their oral health and look good in a swimsuit this summer; treat sweets the way they are supposed to be treated – as something had once in a while. Not all the time. Just because a candy claims it is sugar-free does not mean that you can now eat as much of it as you want without consequence.
Other than that get out and enjoy your summer!
Until next time readers, keep smiling.
