Top Five Worst Drinks For Your Teeth

how bad is coffee for your teeth

January 28, 2017

Dr. Paltsev

Dr. Paltsev has been practicing at the The Little Green Building since 1998. His areas of interest are restorative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, dentistry for children, implant and cosmetic dentistry. In simple terms, he likes all aspects of the art and science of the modern dentistry.

In today’s busy world, it can be hard to find time to always pick out healthy meals and drinks for your teeth.

Many of us try to manage anyway for the sake of our health, our weight, and (most important for us here) our teeth.

Nobody wants to end up losing their teeth, and the more we take care of them now the easier it will be for us at our next trip to the dentist. Most of us know to avoid making sugary sweets like candy and ice cream into a regular snack, and while you may not be a professional chef at least you’re not eating a Big Mac every meal either and of course for the sake of your teeth you already know not to drink coffee every day… right? Well, the truth is that you may be surprised to know that there are quite a few drinks some of us will regularly drink that act as silent killers for your teeth. For that reason, I’m here to provide you with the top five drinks you should avoid for healthy looking teeth:

5. Coffee

I bet most of us knew this one deep down inside but tried to suppress it so we can keep our sanity throughout the work day. I’m sure we’ve all heard at some point that habitual coffee drinking leads to stained teeth, and for coffee drinkers I’m sad to say that this is actually true. More than that, there aren’t many of us out there who drink our coffee black with no added cream or sugar, but it’s that extra sugar that poses a hidden danger to our teeth. Since many of us can’t or won’t quit coffee cold turkey, I suggest cutting back on your intake and instead of drinking coffee throughout the day, try to drink it only during break periods and brush your teeth right after.

4. Soda

Soda is a very popular drink around the whole globe. Unfortunately, soft drinks are also one of the biggest culprits of bad teeth considering how universal they are. Soft drinks are often times loaded with sugar, and on top of that they’re also acidic enough to cause serious damage to your teeth and enamel especially. This includes diet soda and any other sugar free variant, so don’t be fooled into thinking switching to those will work! If you’re a regular soda drinker I recommend you cut out soft drinks all together from your diet, but if you can’t do that then start by only making it a weekly treat rather than a daily go-to drink.

3. Citrus Juices & Drinks

Similar to soft drinks, the main issue with citrus drinks and juices is their high acidity combined with their high sugar content (even if it is all natural). Citrus fruits include but are not limited to: oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. Now of course, these fruits aren’t all bad for you and they have important nutrients our bodies need, so the key for these types of drinks is moderation.

is juice good or bad for teeth

2. Sports Drinks & Energy Drinks

Whether it’s Red Bull or Gatorade by now it should be starting to get obvious why these drinks may not play nice with your teeth. While sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade feel great to re-energize you after a workout or a day of outdoor activities, they’re also packed with a figurative ton of sugar and if you don’t need the sugar for energy it can cause more harm than good. If energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster are your weakness instead, I recommend an alternative form of caffeine and if not then like the coffee drinkers you should cut your intake to only certain times where you can brush after.

1. Alcohol

Yep, you read that one right. The number one spot goes to alcohol because while this one should seem pretty obvious (if vodka can be used as a cleaner and weed killer imagine what it can do to your teeth), it’s also one of the most easily forgotten culprits of bad teeth. Whether it’s beer, wine, cider, or spirits consuming too much alcohol can lead to tooth decay, oral infections, or gum disease. If you like to indulge in some alcoholic drinks from time to time but don’t want to drop alcohol entirely then your best bet is just to use moderation, and it’s very important to drink a lot of water throughout and brush your teeth when you’re done.

glass of alcohol bad for teeth

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