5 Worst Drinks for Your Teeth

Any of these drinks can be a tooth's worst nightmare

They say that diet soda is as bad for your teeth as a meth or cocaine addiction, but sodas aren't the only kind of drink that can seriously harm your pearly whites.

5 Worst Drinks for Your Teeth

Just because we brush our teeth every day (and sometimes floss), doesn’t mean certain drinks can’t still hurt them. The enamel (hard surface) protecting our tooth isn’t as tough as it looks; it’s actually quite prone to discoloration and wear. And sugar in drinks quickly turns into plaque that eats away at our teeth.

Most of us have heard that coffee and soda aren’t the best drinks for maintaining white teeth, but there are a few others, including tea, alcohol, and energy drinks, that can be a nightmare for your teeth as well, causing discoloration, cavities, and even gum disease. Over time, these drinks can wear away enamel, stain your teeth, and cause gum disease.

Coffee

The caffeine may wake you up, but the dark brown color of coffee can, over time, turn white teeth yellow if they’re not taken care of.

Tea

All teas, particularly black and other dark blends, have a staining effect similar to that of coffee.

 

Alcohol: Wine, Beer, Liquor

With its high sugar content, alcohol, including wine, beer, and liquor, can damage tooth enamel as well as cause gum disease. And if consumed frequently, wine — red wine in particular — and beer can stain teeth over time. 

Soda

High amounts of sugar combined with high levels of acidity, both of which make soda so tasty, can cause tooth enamel to wear over time, making teeth more vulnerable to staining and possibly leading to decay and cavities. 

Energy and Sports Drinks

Like soda, energy and sports drinks contain high levels of sugar and acidity, causing enamel to break down and a higher risk of tooth decay and cavities.