page contents

Your Teeth and Energy Drinks

Most people know that sugary sodas are bad for their teeth, but too many think sports drinks and energy drinks are safer alternatives. As it turns out, these drinks can destroy your dental health. How? According to researchers, they:

  • Dissolve tooth enamel.

  • Increase tooth grinding.

  • Have high levels of sugar.

  • Encourage acid reflux.

  • Promote the growth of bacteria

These Drinks Have High Acidity

Why is acid damaging? Although enamel is one of the hardest substances in the human body, it is extremely sensitive to acid. The acid dissolves enamel. It also encourages the growth of bacteria on your teeth, and bacteria can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.

The strength of acids is measured in pH levels. The lower the pH levels, the stronger and more acidic a substance is. Battery acid has a pH balance of 1, and human saliva has a pH of 6 to 7, which is neutral.

Are Energy and Sports Drinks Safer than Sodas?

That’s a Myth - The average energy drink has a pH of 3.2. In 2012, researchers at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine conducted a study of energy and sports drinks. They found that all brands of these drinks were extremely acidic and that energy drinks were twice as damaging as sports drinks.

Enamel loss occurred after just five days of exposure to the drinks. With sports drinks, enamel loss was about 1.5%, and with energy drinks, it was more than 3%. Lost enamel can’t be replaced.

The sports drinks brands with the highest acid levels were Gatorade Blue and Hydr8. Among energy drinks, the highest acid levels were in Red Bull Sugar-Free, Monster Assault, and 5-Hour Energy.

Your Body Can’t Fight Them

Saliva can protect your enamel, but not if it’s constantly fighting an intake of harsh acid from energy drinks and sports drinks.

The average sports drink can turn your saliva into a highly acidic pH of 2 or less. While saliva can get the pH levels back to normal, it takes about 30 minutes to do this. That's fine if you’ve only taken a few sips of a sports drink or energy drink.

If you continue drinking an entire can or bottle, however, you’re washing your teeth with a highly acidic substance, and your body can’t work fast enough to neutralize it.

Sports Drinks Have Lots of Sugar

The average 32-ounce can of a sports drink has 56 to 76 grams of sugar. That’s the equivalent of 14 to 19 teaspoons of sugar.

Many people think they need a sports drink to replenish after a workout. According to Emily Brown in an article for Runners Connect, “Sports drinks are not health drinks,” and they should only be used “for long or intense workouts that demand carbohydrate replenishment.”

They Make Tooth Grinding Worse

Energy drinks often have high levels of caffeine. Excess caffeine use is a frequent cause of tooth grinding, which can cause your teeth to weaken and break.

Save Your Teeth

If you’re concerned about tooth health, try to reduce your use of sports drinks and energy drinks. They’re just as damaging to your teeth as sugary sodas. Do you have concerns about how your diet affects your teeth? Talk to Malan Family Dentistry. We can help answer all your dental questions.