Energy Drinks are Ruining My Teeth
Posted by writeradmin
My dentist said that at the rate my teeth are falling apart I will soon need dentures. He blames my energy drinks. The thing is, I am working three jobs and need the energy drinks to stay on top of things. Otherwise, I am falling asleep at work or when driving home. Is there anything else I can do to keep my teeth from being destroyed?
Coleen
Dear Coleen,
If you must drink energy drinks to stay awake, then I’m going to suggest that you make sure you don’t sip the drink and let it sit in your mouth, but gulp it so that it doesn’t sit on your teeth at all. Make sure that you also rinse out your mouth with water as much as possible, as well as brush and floss regularly. That will help with decay, but it may not be enough.
The frequency is the big problem. If you could limit your energy drinks to just at mealtime, it will be a big help. This is because your saliva is a major factor in fighting decay. When you have frequent snacking, it makes it harder for your saliva to do its job.
A Warning about Dentures
If you end up losing all of your teeth, I would not recommend that you get completely removable dentures. They have quite a few problems.
- Reduction of your chewing capacity. Even the best fitting dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%
- Because they are not anchored, they will shift a bit and food will get underneath them.
- The biggest issue is the problem of bone loss known as facial collapse.
The better solution would be to have dental implants placed and then anchor your dentures to them. This secures them, gives you a significantly higher chewing capacity, and preserves your jawbone so that you don’t have to deal with the effects of facial collapse.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Mt. Dora Dentist, Dr. Michelle Stillman.