I am doing a Science Fair Project on what soda is the worst for your teeth and I am wondering if anyone knows the answer to this question.
Thanks, Olivia
Dear Olivia,
All soda is bad for your teeth. Water is neutral with a PH content of seven and battery acid falls at a level one, therefore making battery acid highly acidic. Acid levels in soda fall in between two and a half to four on the scale. The most acidic sodas are Coke, Cherry Coke, and RC Cola however it has been discovered that Gatorade and Red Bull cause even more damage. Tooth erosion from soda depends on the amount of acid found in the soda as well as the calcium content within the tooth itself. The most erosive acid that’s damaging to teeth is citric acid that is found is sodas. For a successful science project you should ask your dentist for an extracted tooth and see if he can slice some pieces of enamel off the tooth. If that’s possible soak the pieces in soda for 48 hours and what you will discover is that the soda will diminish the enamel anywhere from 1.5% to 5% under a microscope. However if you are using the entire tooth you will need to soak it at least for 2 days changing the soda in the glass every five hours to see etching of the enamel on the tooth surface. Best of luck with your science fair project.
This post is sponsored by Baton Rouge dentist Sherwood Dental Care.