Sugary and Acidic drinks like Pop, Energy Drinks and Iced Tea are terrible for your teeth, BUT…..if you just have to drink them, here are a few tips to prevent the cavities that they can cause:

1. Use a STRAW – Using a straw keeps less of your teeth immersed in the drink. Less sugar and acid on your teeth means less chance for tooth decay to develop.

2. Drink it QUICKLY – TIME is a very important factor when trying to prevent cavities from forming. When you sip a drink slowly over a long period of time the teeth are bathed in the sugar and acid making it much more likely for a cavity to form. So ‘chug’ that drink if you have to have it!

3. Sip WATER – Water can definitely help to prevent cavities by flushing sugar and acid off of your teeth. Rinse immediately after you’ve had any of the tooth damaging drinks mentioned above.

4. Chew GUM with XYLITOL – Xylitol is anti-bacterial and is another great way to help prevent cavities. You can’t get cavities without bacteria and streptococcus mutans are the main cavity causing bacteria in all our mouths.

5. Get extra FLUORIDE – I encourage all my patients who have a high cavity risk to use an “anticavity” mouth rinse which contains Fluoride, and/or a “high-fluoride” toothpaste. You can find these special rinses and toothpastes at most drug stores and they will help to slow down and hopefully prevent cavities from forming.

6. Eat some CHEESE – Brie, cheddar and even blue cheese are all excellent choices. The calcium in cheese counteracts acidity and helps to rebuild the minerals in your teeth. But don’t put the cheese on a cracker, eat it plain. Crackers definitely can cause cavities!

7. DO NOT RUSH TO BRUSH – I do not usually tell my patients NOT to brush however if your teeth were just exposed to a very acidic beverage such as pop, then the enamel has likely become softer and more prone to wear! If you immediately start scrubbing your teeth with a toothbrush, there’s a good chance you will damage the enamel. So wait a bit before brushing and try to use the above tips to reduce the effects of the acidity. Also remember to brush with a toothpaste that contain fluoride.