Dr. Sandeep Singh, a city-based dentist, has raised concerns about the rising consumption of soft drinks and their harmful effects on dental health. He emphasized that the high sugar and acid content in these beverages are particularly damaging to children’s teeth. Dr. Singh recommends limiting intake, drinking quickly, using a straw, and rinsing the mouth afterward to reduce the harm.
“We can often identify frequent soft drink consumers by the thin, matte, yellow-tinged surface on their front teeth,” said Dr. Singh. “Our first question usually is about their daily soft drink consumption, and the typical response is two to three cans a day.”
Dr. Singh noted that soft drink consumption has surged significantly, becoming a serious issue. He explained that these beverages contain a mix of sugar and phosphoric acid, which gives them their distinctive taste but is extremely corrosive to teeth. Children are most affected because their developing tooth enamel is more porous and dissolves more easily in acidic environments compared to mature enamel.
“When children’s teeth are regularly exposed to acidic drinks, the calcium in their enamel dissolves, leading to tooth erosion, structural crumbling, and decay,” Dr. Singh explained. He also pointed out that this could be a contributing factor to the increase in dental caries observed in children. There has been a noticeable rise in decay in both deciduous (baby) teeth among primary schoolchildren and in the permanent teeth of older children.
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