Although candy and soft drinks are known to cause cavities, many people have been surprised to learn their energy bars, and drinks can be just as bad for their teeth as candy.
Dentist have also been surprised by amount of healthy and athletic patients with an increasing amount of cavities. Apparently a dentist tracked down the culprit of all these unnecessary cavities, by asking a patient what she consumed daily. The one thing was consistent in her diet every day was nutrition bars.
“It’s the consistency of these bars,” says Dr. Richard Price, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association and a retired Boston-area dentist. “They’re sticky and when something is sticky it stays in the mouth longer and the longer it stays in the mouth, the more time bacteria have to work on it. That creates an environment that’s not healthy for teeth.”
The problem with energy bars and drinks is that they all have tons of sugar and caffeine and are usually consumed when we are “on the go”. Initially the problem lies with the fact that if we are biking, hiking, running, or just going to work we are not brushing and flossing on the go.
“Bacteria use the stuff in the energy bars to make acid which softens the enamel,” says Dr. Jane Soxman, a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry. “If you add to it the phosphoric acid in soft drinks or the citric acid in energy drinks or sports drinks, then it’s a perfect storm for tooth decay. Once isn’t bad, but it’s the repeated exposure, the chronic use. Eventually you’ll get a cavity.”
So what do you do right? Well dentist recommend drinking water, directly after eating an energy bar or drinking an energy drink. Also there are new mini on the go toothbrushes made by Colgate called Wisp that can easily be carried and used on the go. But in my opinion they should be used in conjunction with water to get the bacteria out of your mouth.
About the Author -
Lisa Macfarlane is a professional health writer and editor who specializes in sexual health and health issues.
