Energy Drinks Supercharge Tooth Decay

With a reported 30 to 50 percent of U.S. teens consuming energy drinks, and as many as 62 percent consuming at least one sports drink per day, it is important to educate parents and young adults about any potential side effects associated with these drinks. One such side effect is tooth decay, brought on not only by the sweetness present in some of these drinks, but by the chemical constituents present in the sugar-free formulations.

A recent study found that an alarming increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among adolescents, is causing irreversible damage to teeth—more specifically, that the high acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of the tooth.

The researchers found that damage to enamel was evident after only five days of exposure to sports or energy drinks, although energy drinks showed a significantly greater potential to damage teeth than sports drinks. In fact, the authors found that energy drinks caused approximately twice as much damage to teeth as sports drinks.

Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are ‘better’ for them than soda,” says Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, lead author of the study. “Most of these patients are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid.”

Damage caused to tooth enamel is irreversible, and without the protection of enamel, teeth become overly sensitive, prone to cavities, and more likely to decay. Those looking for an energy boost may be advised to consider alternate sources.