Sports Drinks Bad for Teeth

Sports and energy drinks have become prevalent in our society. The general thinking is that sports drinks are healthier for you than soft drinks. While sports drinks might be lower in calories than soft drinks, they are no better for your teeth.

Sports and energy drinks are acidic which can lead to enamel erosion on teeth. Enamel erosion can lead to sensitive teeth and an increased risk of cavities. The worst thing a person can do for their teeth is to sip on sports drinks or soft drinks throughout the day. Basically that means your teeth are continuously submerged in acid.

What I tell my dental patients is that they should limit sports drink use. When a sports drink is needed or desired, consume it at one sitting instead of sipping on it continuously. Rinsing your mouth with water after consuming sports drinks will also help neutralize the acid. You should also wait about thirty minutes to brush your teeth after consuming an acidic beverage. The theory behind this is that if you brush right afterwards, you will be brushing the acid into the teeth.

My boys love sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. I limit their consumption though. For most sporting events, I bring water for my boys. For long sporting events or if it’s expected to be very hot and humid, I do allow them to use sports drinks to replace electrolytes. To further take care or my boys teeth, we have them using a Sonicare Powerup toothbrush. I love that this toothbrush has a two minute timer to encourage my boys to brush the recommended time. Plus, the boys find the powerup brush fun to use!

With the advent of preventive dental care, people are keeping a majority of their teeth for a lifetime. Hopefully with this additional knowledge regarding acidic drinks, we can continue with healthy teeth for a lifetime!

I have previously discussed the following dental topics here on the blog:

How to Care for Your Child’s Teeth

When to Change Your Toothbrush

How to Get Rid of the Pacifier

First Time Dental Appointment

Disclosure: I was provided with a Sonicare Powerup toothbrush for review purposes. All opinions expressed are mine.

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Renae Chiovaro

Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.