Soda Damages Teeth In Hidden Ways

Your children's teeth could be crumbling right before your eyes, and the culprit is soda, KMBC's Kelly Eckerman reported.

It used to be that a glass of pop was a treat. Now, dentists are seeing the startling impact on a society that sips on soda all day long.

Sandy White, 19, had no idea until she went to a dentist that she had crumbling teeth, dozens of cavities and widespread decay.

"A tooth actually broke away and I found out I had a lot more going on that I knew about," White said.

White said that she used to drink at least six sodas a day. Dr. Nancy Addy said that she was shocked to see the extensive damage to White's teeth. She said she can tell immediately when pop is to blame.

Eckerman said that a big misconception is that drinking sugar-free pop eliminates the problem, which is not true. The acid is what is causing a lot of the damage, and it is found in any soda pop.

Sugar can damage teeth, but Addy said that it is the acid damage that people don't seem to think about.

"It just literally starts eating the tooth structure away," Addy said. "When I come in with my explorer, it sticks like caramel, so I know there's decay."

Eckerman said that if you don't believe the damage acid can do, drop a tooth in soda pop overnight and see what happens.

In years past, a bottle of pop was 6.5 ounces. Now 12-ounce cans or 20-ounce bottles are the norm. The ever-popular 64-ounce big cup is like five cans of soda in a single serving.

When acid attacks teeth, the process continues for about 20 minutes.

"You can actually see where it's eaten the tooth and the whole thing's going to collapse on her," Addy said.

White said she had a rude awakening and now faces a lot of dental work to save her teeth. She said she no longer drinks pop.

Addy said she anticipates more side effects from patients who have grown up on pop.

"The phosphoric acid also demineralizes bone, so you're going to see a lot more osteoporosis than ever before," Addy said.

Experts recommend that if you do drink pop, use a straw because it helps keep the pop away from teeth. Never drink pop before bedtime because it pools in the mouth and coats the tongue and teeth with sugar and acid.

If you can't brush immediately after drinking pop, swish water around the mouth to dilute the pop's effect.