This Drink Is As Bad As Crack

You may not be a junkie, but you might have the mouth of one. In high doses,diet coke may damage your teeth as much as methamphetamine and crack cocaine, finds a new case study in General Dentistry.

The study looked at a meth addict, a cocaine addict, and someone who drank 2 liters of diet soda daily for 2 to 3 years. While none of the people regularly saw the dentist, to the untrained eye, all three suffered identical symptoms: rotting, discolored, and destroyed teeth.

Diet soda doesn’t contain sugar (a usual suspect for teeth issues), but it’s highly acidic—and acid wears away your teeth’s protective enamel and creates an environment where bacteria thrive, says Augusto Robles, D.D.S., of the University of Alabama’s School of Dentistry. Combine that with dry mouth—which also increases acidity—or bad hygiene, and soda can cause cavities and erosion, he says.

The same general process occurs in the mouths of drug users, too. Meth users’ saliva is less effective at minimizing acidity, and drug-induced dry mouth worsens the situation by making the environment even more acidic, Dr. Robles says.

Now, drinking 2 liters of diet soda every day is excessive. That’s roughly 68 ounces (oz.), while the Average person drinks around 15 oz. a day, according to data from Beverage Digest. But more than four 12-ounce servings of soda a week add up over time and can lead to cavities and decay—even with good hygiene, says Mohamed Bassiouny, D.M.D., Ph.D., the lead researcher on the General Dentistry study.

To protect your teeth, cut back on soda and other acidic drinks like Gatorade. And remember it’s your total exposure that’s dangerous, says Dr. Robles. If you sip on one can throughout the day, it keeps acid levels high all day—the same effect as drinking several cans at once. Another tip: Drink from a straw—it keeps the soda from touching your teeth, Dr. Robles says.

Culled From Men's Health magazine