Wisconsin Ag Connection - National/World News - Root Beer May be the Only Safe Soft Drink

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Root Beer May be the Only Safe Soft Drink
USAgNet - 03/22/2007

Any drink with any acid could cause dental erosion even after a short period of exposure and prolonged exposure could even lead to significant loss of enamel.

However, a study found root beer, a soft drink is safe to drink because it is non-carbonated and do not contain any acids that harm teeth.

The finding of the study, which was published in the March/April 2007 issue of General Dentistry, could be a reason for people to consider putting root beer in their shopping list.

When it comes to soft drinks, people have more concern about sugars than acids. Many people choose diet drinks to avoid sugars, but they do not know diet dinks contain phosphoric acid and or citric acid just like the conventional drinks. These acids damage teeth.

"Drinking any type of soft drink poses risk to the health of your teeth," says AGD spokesperson Kenton Ross, DMD, FAGD.

Dr. Ross recommends that patients reduce their consumption of soft drinks. He also advises people to drink with a straw, which will reduce soda's contact with teeth.

The study found that non-colas cause greater erosion than colas. Non-colas contain often high level of citric acid, which explains why non-colas are more erosive compared to colas.