Diet Coke and dental health?

[tdn]

A friend of mine just visited the dentist, and was told that she had something like 17 new cavities and would need 12 teeth pulled with as many root canals and implants. Needless to say, she was rather shocked at this, as just a few years ago she had pretty good teeth. When she asked the dentist why, he asked her if she drank a lot of Diet Coke. She does. He said something about the phosphorus causes massive tooth decay.

Question1: Is it possible for Diet Coke to cause so mach damage in such a short time?
Question2: Would any other diet sodas do the same thing? What about non-diet?

[tdn]

Originally Posted by glee, pasted from the wrong thread

I'm 51.
I have drunk diet coke all my life. (I don't drink alcohol, tea or coffee).
I still have all my teeth.

Does you friend brush her teeth regularly?
Does her water supply contain flouride?

Yes and yes. And she's been drinking Diet Coke (or Pepsi) for years. It seems unlikely that all this damage would happen at once. But then why would the dentist say such a thing?

It seems more likely that her hysterectomy, with all its attendant hormonal changes and heavy drugs, would be the culprit.

[citybadger]

I've heard almost exactly the same story from a friend, but a quick google search turned up only:

http://www.dental--health.com/sodapop1.html

nothing found on snopes either

[tdn]

Originally Posted by citybadger

nothing found on snopes either

Perhaps it's a very new legend among dentists. Or an untested hypothesis.

[Spoke]

Another data point: I drink a lot of diet Coke, and I've had near-perfect dental health for the past 20 years.

[Crafter_Man]

Originally Posted by tdn

why would the dentist say such a thing?

Not all dentists are honest. If I were her I would definitely get a second opinion.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Ask her if it causes people to drop swords in the river, see what kind of answer you get.

[cmkeller]

I drink plenty of Diet Coke, and while I haven't had a formal dental checkup recently, my teeth haven't been bothering me.

Nonetheless, some people's teeth may be, due to genetics, more susceptible to rot than others. Just as an example, my oldest son went to sleep with a bottle until he was three, with no adverse effects on his teeth. Our second son, on the other hand, had his tope two teeth rotted away before age two, and the dentist said it was due to the bottle. Even though my eldest wasn't affected that way.

[Amazon Floozy Goddess]

Is it possible she's begun to have trouble with dry mouth?

I had zero cavities, even my baby teeth, up until I was 19. Then, due to a combination of the antidepressants I was prescribed plus the industrial-strength allergy medicine I'm on, I developed chronic dry mouth. Suddenly a perfect set of teeth began to develop a lot of cavities, no matter what I ate, drank, or how many times I brushed my teeth. I think I have around 15 or 16 fillings, all from cavities developed between ages 19-25. I use a spray to help stimulate saliva flow, but that only helps for about 1/2 an hour. Drinking water does nothing. As soon as I swallow it my tongue feels like a dry sock again.

[Thudlow Boink]

Here's a site Google gave me. To summarize, phosphorus can inhibit calcium absorption, but there's not enough phosphorus in Diet Coke that you should really worry about it.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Amazon Floozy Goddess

Is it possible she's begun to have trouble with dry mouth?

Not that she's ever complained about. But she's on a rainbow of meds, and other than Diet Coke and coffee, she doesn't drink much of anything. It's possible she's often dehydrated.

[Carol the Impaler]

I would second the possible role of anti-depressants (if you mean that she's on one). She may not be dehyrdrated, per se, but anti-depressants interfere with saliva production, and less saliva can lead to more cavities.

(Word from my dentist. Which I would say is true. I had perfect teeth - no cavities ever, at all - until I was 25. Started the meds, and now I'm Filling Woo-man!)

[rjung]

Could it have something to do with the citric acid and/or pH of the soda?

[MaryEFoo]

Is it true that chewing gum stimulates saliva and therefore would help with the dry-mouth-resulting-in-cavities problem?

You'd want a sugarless gum, or a robust one like Dentyne (memories of childhood...)

[tdn]

Originally Posted by niblet_head

I would second the possible role of anti-depressants (if you mean that she's on one).

I don't think so. Psychotropic, yes, but not anti-depressants. I'm still viewing the hysterectomy as a possible culprit. The coincidental timing can't be ignored.

[King Friday]

I can tell you, I take in a minimum of 52oz of diet pepsi daily and have not gotten a cavity in the last 15 years.

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by rjung

Could it have something to do with the citric acid and/or pH of the soda?

Two of my aunts are dental hygienists, and both of them agree that diet soda causes tooth decay because of its acidity. Both said that patients will come in with shocking numbers of cavities from it, and it's because the acidity erodes the enamel and since there's no sugar, people believe it's perfectly fine for their teeth.

They also said that the worst are the patients who drink a soda for hours at a time, taking occasional sips, because essentially the teeth are bathed in acid all day.

[amarinth]

For me, it was Cherry Coke....
My teeth always hurt, and I couldn't figure out why. I hadn't been to a dentist in a while - and he said there was nearly no enamel left on the inside of my mouth. One day, I'll need the kind of reconstruction your friend is facing. But I could arrest the erosion by not drinking coke any more.

I stopped. (it was hard, there were headaches. I drank a lot of the stuff) and my teeth stopped hurting (I'd never made the connection before). Since then, the old problems remain, but they're not getting worse. They'll hurt again, whenever I drink something with phosphoric or a lot of tannic acid, and don't follow it up with something acid neutralizing.

[biddee]

Originally Posted by Excalibre

Two of my aunts are dental hygienists, and both of them agree that diet soda causes tooth decay because of its acidity. Both said that patients will come in with shocking numbers of cavities from it, and it's because the acidity erodes the enamel and since there's no sugar, people believe it's perfectly fine for their teeth.

They also said that the worst are the patients who drink a soda for hours at a time, taking occasional sips, because essentially the teeth are bathed in acid all day.

I would think that the OP's friend possibly has dry mouth and that is why her saliva is not washing away the acid from the diet soda but for most people the acid in diet soda is NOT a problem according to my dentist.

From this page. Warning! Horrible pictures of decayed teeth. Not for sensitive people.

Q. But even diet soda contains acid from the carbonation (carbonic acid) as well as citric acid and even other forms of acid added to enhance the flavor. Since these acids occur in diet soda as well as in sugared soda, why is it that diet soda doesn't cause decay??

A. All the non sugar related acids in soda (including carbonic acid) are so soluble in water that they are washed off the teeth almost immediately before they can cause much decalcification of the tooth structure. On the other hand, the sugar in regular soda is very sticky and remains on the teeth for a long time. In addition, the bacteria in plaque use sugar as a raw material to create dextrans which are the molecular units composing the viscous sticky stuff that makes plaque adhere to the teeth. The dextrans have the property of absorbing more sugar which is turned into acid by the plaque bacteria causing the plaque to remain acidic for twenty minutes or more after each exposure to sugar. I have never tried to dissolve a nail in a bottle of Coke, but if it did dissolve, it would be from the prolonged exposure of the iron to the carbonic acid from the carbonation in the soda, and not from the sugar. Since the acid caused by carbonation does NOT spend enough time in the mouth to damage the teeth, the experiment would say nothing at all about the effects of soda on the teeth. However, it says a great deal about the wisdom of storing nails in full bottles of soda.

[Excalibre]

Originally Posted by biddee

I would think that the OP's friend possibly has dry mouth and that is why her saliva is not washing away the acid from the diet soda but for most people the acid in diet soda is NOT a problem according to my dentist.

It could be particularly bad in patients who have dry mouths. But like I said, they specifically admonished me not to spend hours drinking a Coke; apparently some folks drink small sips of it continuously enough that it's simply sitting on their teeth for hours at a time.

[DrDeth]

Another hard core Diet Cola drinker, who's last check-up was rated as 'exceptional". One 30 yo filling had cracked, and they suggested a crown to replace it- which since I just then had pretty good Dental Insurance, I went for. Not a cavity in sight, and I hadn't been in for some 4-5 years. Teeth needed very little cleaning, too.

"Dry Mouth" or smoking can leave your teeth and gums very open to decay. Is she a smoker? Does she suffer from dry Mouth?

[Amazon Floozy Goddess]

If she does indeed have trouble with dry mouth, she might try these things that help me:

-After drinking or eating anything sugary, I immediately chew Trident gum. It contains Xylitol, which can help prevent cavities, and stimulates saliva flow.

-Every night before bed, after brushing my teeth, I use a daily fluoride rinse (I prefer the Oral-B brand). The combination of these two things in conjunction with regular brushing and a spray to stimulate saliva flow has halted the decay considerably. Maybe she can give these a try?

[Hakuna Matata]

found this on snopes--which is somewhat relative it seems

http://snopes.com/cokelore/tooth.asp

[DrDeth]

Biotene Toothpaste is great if you have Dry Mouth- and also if you don't. It is also one of the few that don't contain SLS- an additive that adds "foaming action" but causes canker sores in many.

[sewalk]

Originally Posted by King Friday

I can tell you, I take in a minimum of 52oz of diet pepsi daily and have not gotten a cavity in the last 15 years.

Ditto for me except that it's Diet Coke for me and at least a deuce(2L) a day. And my dental hygeine isn't all it could be, either. I tend to fall asleep reading or watching TV without doing my evening brushing 4-5 times a week.

Of course it is possible that genetics is at play here, too; both of my grandmothers still have all their teeth beyond age 80. One still has no cavities at all and will be 85 next month.

[rwjefferson]

It is the phosphoric acid in the soda that eats into teeth (citric acid in clear sodas).

You can buy phosphoric acid as Naval Jelly at your local hardware store. It also eats away rust. If you don’t happen to have any Naval Jelly around; use soda to remove rust.

The other factors are:
The buffering capability of your saliva
The acid resistance of your teeth
The length of time the soda is in your mouth
Sugar from other sources
The particular bacteria growing in your mouth
Tooth brushing abilities

Some people are lucky, some are not.

tdn:
“A few years ago” is NOT a short time. Decay gets through the very hard enamel shell and into the softer dentin. It then hollows out teeth without external indication.

Any drink with high acidity (sodas, orange, grapefruit, etc.) softens the teeth. Sugar adds fuel to the fire: food for the decay germs.

Try this experiment: Slide your teeth against each other. Notice how slippery they are. Now sip on soda for a half hour. They will not feel as slippery. The acid has already started to eat into your teeth. Now add sugar and you are on your way to rotten teeth.

rwj