Energy Drinks May Lead to Cavities for Children

At Skyline Dental, we have certainly seen a rise in the number of cavities on High School and Middle School athletes who consume a large amount of Sports or Energy drinks.  We used to spend a fair amount of time talking about the damage that soda pop and carbonated beverages were causing teeth, and now we are having a similar discussion about the Sports or Energy drinks.

We would encourage our patients to limit the use of these products to a minimum and rehydrate with water as often as possible.

Dr. Salari

SKYLINE DENTAL, LLC

Frequent drinking of soft drinks may be linked to obesity, diabetes and dental erosion, said Dr. Brett Dorney, a dentist and past president of the Academy of Sports Dentistry. The consumption of these drinks has increased 300 percent in the last 20 years, and serving sizes have ballooned from 185 grams in the 1950s to 500 grams in the 1990s.

“Sports drinks have erosive potential,” Dr. Dorney said, adding that the degree of damage will be influenced by the pattern of consumption, salivary flow rates, saliva buffering capacity, pellicle formation and the tooth surface’s chemical composition.

“Athletes will most often consume sports or energy drinks after exercise when the volume and protective effects of saliva will be reduced,” said Dr. Dorney. “The erosive acids in sports drinks have the ability to dissolve even fluoride-rich enamel, which normally inhibits dissolution by the weaker acids, causing caries.”

Dr. Dorney encourages his colleagues in dentistry to caution patients—and parents of young patients—about the negative properties of sports drinks.

“To minimize dental problems, advise parents and athletes to hydrate with water before, during and after sports,” he said.

If sports drinks are consumed:

• reduce the frequency and contact time;
• swallow immediately and do not swish them around the mouth;
• rinse mouthguards only in water;
• seek out dentally friendly sports drinks;
• discuss training and hydration protocol with a dentist.

via AAP: Kids should not consume energy drinks – American Dental Association – ADA.org