It is common knowledge that darker drinks like coffee and red wine often stain the teeth. So does that mean that you can have clear beverages and you can avoid the damage?

Unfortunately, unless the drink is water, the answer is no. You may avoid the staining by drinking clear beverages, but there are other factors that can still damage your teeth out of those beverages.

The Danger of Drinking Clear Drinks

To give clear carbonated beverages some flavor, the main flavoring is often related to some type of citrus. For clear sodas, this usually means you are getting a lot of citric acid in your mouth. That can mean that you are throwing the pH balance of your mouth off, and that you are exposing your teeth to the direct effects of acid erosion.

The same can happen with clear alcohols. Instead of citric acid, however, the ingredient is urethane. This has been shown to cause damage to your teeth, and in many studies has actually shown an increase in oral cancers over people who do not drink alcohol. Luckily, if you are using mouthwash that contains alcohol, urethane is not one of the ingredients that is put into the mix.

If you want to be able to help your teeth with the beverages you drink, stick to teas as they help keep your mouth healthy and clean, water as it washes away bacteria and restores proper pH balance, and milk as it helps to restore the calcium your teeth need to stay strong. The more of these three types of beverages you can drink, the healthier your mouth is going to be.

Contact our office if you commonly drink clear beverages that are not good for you, so he or she can better monitor your overall oral health.