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When you're thirsty, what do you reach for? If you're like a growing majority of Americans, more often than not you reach for a can or bottle of pop.
As members of the Michigan Dental Association, we are concerned that this increase in soda pop consumption is putting you and your children at greater risk for tooth decay. In addition to dental problems, research shows that too much pop can lead to medical problems, including obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease and kidney stones.
Soft drinks make up 27 percent of all the beverages Americans drink. That's an astounding $54 billion spent on 14 billion gallons of "liquid candy."
Teenagers today drink twice as much pop as milk, which means they may not be getting the vitamins, minerals and protein they need. What they are getting is a large dose of sugars and other unhealthy additives that can lead to tooth decay. The sugars in soft drinks combine with the bacteria in the mouth to produce acid that can destroy the teeth.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. It is five times more common than asthma. Over 50 percent of children have cavities by the first grade. Three million school hours are missed each year by children because of oral health problems. And only two percent of 19-year olds in this country meet the recommended standard for a healthy diet.
Calcium deficiency is a serious nutritional problem in this country. Many people are opting for soft drinks and other beverages that don't have the vitamins and minerals that milk provides to help build strong bones.
Is your child drinking too much pop? A study reveals that as kids grow older, the nutrient content of their diets often declines. By following the eating patterns of children from 3rd to 8th grade, researchers from the University of Minnesota found kids' milk consumption dropped from 2.5 times a day in 3rd grade to less than 1.9 times a day in 8th grade. Soft drink consumption more than tripled between the two grades, most often replacing milk and fruit juice.
Calcium and gum disease. Keeping healthy teeth may be as easy as getting three servings of milk or foods from the milk group. Researchers found females with low calcium intakes had 54 percent greater risk for gum disease, which is a major cause of tooth loss, compared to people with high calcium intakes.
No one's saying you need to eliminate soft drinks from your diet. But use them sparingly - making them the treat they were originally intended to be.
- Avoid sipping pop throughout the day. Rather, drink pop in a short time with food or as part of a meal.
- Drink pop in moderation. Even diet drinks contain acid that will attack the teeth and result in decay.
- If you can't brush, rinse your mouth with water after drinking a pop.
- Never drink pop or juice before bedtime or put them in a baby's bottle because the liquid pools in the mouth and coats the teeth with sugar and acid that can result in decay.
- Drink water instead of pop since it has no sugar, no acid and no calories.
- Eat foods that are high in sugar or are sticky and more likely to cause tooth decay during meals rather than between meals.
- Brush and floss regularly to remove the plaque that can lead to tooth decay and ask your dentist or hygienist about the use of fluoride products to lessen further decay.
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