Controlling The Frequency Of High Sugar Drinks To Prevent Cola Teeth

　　There is a wide range of beverages on the market today, some of which contain more than 10 cubes of sugar in one bottle. What damage can these sugary drinks do to your teeth? And how should you drink them to be healthy? Professor Liang Yuhong, chief physician at Peking University Stomatology Hospital, suggests controlling the frequency of drinking, rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth after drinking, and if you use a straw to drink the drink, you can also indirectly reduce the time the drink stays in your mouth.

　　There was a media report about a 5-year-old boy who drank at least three bottles of cola every day, and without a good habit of brushing his teeth before bed, most of his 20 normal teeth had rotted away, leaving only six small black teeth. Professor Liang Yuhong said that this was due to the child's prolonged consumption of too many sugary drinks, coupled with poor cleaning of the teeth, leading to the occurrence of tooth decay.

　　In daily life, many people love to drink beverages because its taste and colour bring pleasure to people. However, some drinks on the market contain very high levels of sugar. "Some drinks contain as much as 10 cubes of sugar in one bottle." These sugars are left in the mouth and if they are not cleaned in time, bacteria inside the mouth will metabolise the sugar and produce various acids," says Professor Liang Yuhong. These acids remain on the surface of the teeth for a long time and slowly erode the teeth, which can eventually lead to demineralisation. If left untreated, further down the line the teeth can become painful, swollen and may even lead to premature tooth loss."

　　There is also a more popular term for tooth demineralisation - 'cola teeth'. This is because most patients with demineralised teeth share a common habit of enjoying sugary carbonated drinks such as Coke. Previously, Zhao Weiyu, a nutrition specialist at the First Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, reviewed 18 commercially available sugary drinks and found that carbonated beverages such as Coke were among the highest in sugar content. Combined with the low pH of the drinks themselves, the acidic nature of the drinks and the high sugar content increase the likelihood of tooth demineralisation.

　　How can demineralisation be reduced? Professor Yuhong Liang recommends drinking less of these sugary, carbonated drinks. If you can't resist drinking them, the most important thing is to control the frequency of consumption, finish them as soon as possible if you have to, and rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth afterwards. Also, using a straw to suck on sugary drinks can indirectly reduce the amount of time they remain in the mouth.