It’s easy to reach for an icy cold soft drink or a thirst quenching sports drink especially in summer. Hot weather and more frequent social events make it all the more difficult to avoid.

But at what cost?

Did you know every sip you take of a sugar sweetened drink produces an acid that can eat away at the surface of your teeth for around 20 minutes? Every sip! If that’s what one sip does, imagine a whole bottle. And don’t be fooled by diet fizzy drinks – they also have high acid levels that can damage your teeth. The good news is, as soon as you switch from sugary drinks to water, you’ll be reducing your chance of tooth decay.

Think about the drink and READ LABELS!

Fruit juice is often perceived as a healthy beverage choice, but is it? Look at the label. 100% fruit juice, contains natural sugars, whilst fruit “drink” is usually a combination of sugar and fruit flavours. Occasional fruit juice is fine in a healthy diet but fruit drinks are best avoided and replaced with water.

Surely milk is ok? Milk is a great source of calcium, protein and other nutrients, but milk also has natural sugars. Low fat is the best option. Be aware of flavoured milk which contains sugar and should be avoided completely or at least consumed in small quantities.

It’s OK, I only drink sugar free soft drinks. They might be sugar free, but they are fizzy with high acid content which is bad news for your teeth. So whilst you might be helping your waistline it’s still a good idea to replace diet soft drinks with water to help against tooth decay.

I drink water, flavoured water! Flavoured water is the secret imposter, fooling you into believing you are doing right by your health and teeth. STOP! Flavoured mineral waters, vitamin waters and waters with any added ingredients may contain added sugar. Some have up to 6 teaspoons in every 500ml and in some cases almost as much as soft drinks! Add your own fruit to water if you must have it flavoured and cut back on the sugar content.

So are you ready to take on the H2O challenge? It’s easy! Simply replace all beverages with water as often as possible. Not only will you see great improvement in your oral health, but also in your overall health. Your wallet will thank you as well. Greenvale Dental Group are always on hand to provide information before, during and after treatment. It’s a great idea to talk to your dentist during your check-up to see how you are travelling along.