Is sugar-free Red Bull bad for your teeth

Dental experts say the high acidity in the popular drinks can damage tooth enamel.

Is sugar-free Red Bull bad for your teeth
Share on PinterestDental experts have been warning for years that energy drinks are unhealthy. Getty Images

Chances are you’ve already gotten the message that overly sweet drinks can lead to tooth decay.

But what about highly acidic drinks?

Looks like that warning may have fallen through the cracks.

“A lot of people very proudly come into my dental office or the clinic at the dental school and say ‘You’ll be so proud of me. I’ve given up sodas. All I drink now are sports and energy drinks,’” said Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, vice dean for clinical education, operation, and community partnerships at the A.T. Still University Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health.

Jain told Healthline she has to find a way to diplomatically tell those patients, “Good move, however, those are no better.”

The issue has come to light recently after a British man posted photos online of his rotting teeth, which he says were damaged by his addiction to energy drinks.

His story hasn’t yet been verified, but the posts have reignited warnings from dental experts.

In fact, Jain began sounding the alarm years ago that energy and sports drinks may not be as healthy as you think.

Seven years ago, Jain was the lead researcher on a team at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine.

Their study comparing the impact of energy and sports drinks on teeth was published in the May/June 2012 edition of General Dentistry.

The researchers studied 22 beverages popular with young adults. They looked at what effect the 13 sports drinks and 9 energy drinks had on tooth enamel.

“We found the acidity was two times higher in energy drinks than it was for sports drinks,” Jain said.

“The lower the pH, the greater the potential for losing enamel from your teeth,” she added.

“Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, much harder than bone,” Jain said. “But the hardest substance in the human body dissolves in these highly acidic drinks.”

How does that happen?

First, she said your saliva is roughly a pH of 6.8 or 7, which is considered neutral.

Jain said researchers found that even a small amount of a highly acidic drink can send your saliva’s pH plummeting.

“You take a single sip of this drink and your saliva could potentially go down to 2 on the pH scale,” Jain said.

“It takes the human body approximately 30 minutes to buffer the saliva back to a normal pH,” she said. “For those 30 minutes, your teeth are essentially bathed in an acidic environment, in acid.”

“But you don’t stop at a single sip. You go on to drink that can, or bottle, or glass,” she added.

“I think there is a false sense of security about going to these drinks,” Jain said. “They sound so much healthier than drinking a soda.”

The American Beverage Association, however, says tooth decay and other dental problems are more complex than just a canned or bottled drink.

“No single food or beverage is a factor for enamel loss and tooth decay,” a statement from the organization to Healthline says. “Individual susceptibility to both dental cavities and tooth erosion varies depending on a person’s dental hygiene, lifestyle, total diet an genetic make-up.”

Dentists, however, say they are seeing the effects of beverages first hand.

“In all my years in dentistry I’ve found the leading cause of tooth decay in children to be juice, and in adults, it is energy drinks,” Bobby J. Grossi, DDS, a dentist in Michigan, told Healthline.

“Energy drinks, with a pH of roughly 3.2, are almost as acidic as battery acid, which has a pH of 1,” he added.

Grossi said the acid fosters the growth of bacteria. The higher the concentration of bacteria, the more likely you are to get tooth and gum disease.

Nammy Patel, DDS, a dentist in California, sees other problems, too.

“Because people are so wired after drinking an energy drink, they grind their teeth. That sometimes causes tooth breakage and tooth loss,” Patel told Healthline.

She added that energy drinks can also spur more acid reflux production, which can in turn cause more cavities.

Dental experts say regular consumption of energy drinks can cause serious damage to your teeth.

That’s because an energy drink can essentially bathe the enamel on your teeth in a highly acidic liquid.

The hyperactive energy produced by the drinks can also cause people to grind their teeth, causing tooth breakage and loss.

  • Is sugar-free Red Bull bad for your teeth

    A blog considering the harmful implications of drinking energy drinks regularly

    By Naomi Todd

New research from the Oral Health Foundation has discovered that almost one in four British adults say they use energy drinks to get through their day. More than one in ten said they have an energy drink at least once a day, and this figure rises to almost one in three of 25-34 year olds.

Some energy drinks contain 55 grams of sugar, the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of sugar and almost twice as much as the recommended daily allowance for free sugars. According to researchers, it only takes 5 days for the enamel to start eroding after energy drink consumption.

The Oral Health Foundation says energy drinks are often also dangerously acidic and are causing a devastating effect on the nation’s oral health.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation says:

“A dependence on energy drinks can very quickly lead to severe oral health problems such as tooth decay and erosion, as well as lead to any number of other health conditions and diseases…Energy drinks are adding an unnecessary risk to the UK’s health and over-consumption is causing both enormous and irreparable damage to the quality of life for millions of Brits.”

Foods that contain sugars of any kind can contribute to tooth decay. When teeth are not cleaned after eating, plaque bacteria in the mouth use the sugar to produce acids that can destroy the hard surface of the tooth, called enamel. After a while, tooth decay occurs. When teeth come in frequent contact with drinks with added sugars, the risk of decay increases.

Energy drinks can damage tooth enamel and cause decay

It has been found that the acid in energy drinks is so significant, that it could gradually destroy your tooth enamel. When your tooth enamel is damaged, it makes your mouth prone to bacteria, due to the lack of protection from the enamel. Serious dental problems can arise when bacteria seeps into your teeth.

Without the protection of the enamel, sensitives can occur on the teeth. This can create pain and discomfort when you eat certain foods. The roots of your tooth can become inflamed and bleeding in the gums can occur.

As energy drinks can erode your enamel, your teeth can become susceptible to decay and cavities. The enamel cannot be regrown after its damaged, so the decaying effects can be quite severe.

Cut down!

Energy drinks are seriously bad for your teeth and contain high levels of sugar and acid. Always drink plenty of water to dilute the acid and don’t brush your teeth straight after drinking, because it can spread the acid around your mouth. The best solution is to refrain from energy drinks all together.

If you do drink energy drinks, it’s advised to rinse your mouth out with water or chew gum. To avoid the acid spreading on teeth surfaces and causing erosion, it is advised to wait an hour to brush teeth after drinking sports and energy drinks.

Is sugar

Although it's certainly better for your physical health to consume less sugar, the erosion your enamel experiences from sugar-free carbonated drinks, including diet soda and sugar-free energy drinks, is about the same as it would experience if you were drinking the regular kind.

Does Red Bull damage your teeth?

As energy drinks can erode your enamel, your teeth can become susceptible to decay and cavities. The enamel cannot be regrown after its damaged, so the decaying effects can be quite severe. Cut down! Energy drinks are seriously bad for your teeth and contain high levels of sugar and acid.

Is it bad to drink sugar

While sugar-free Red Bull is lower in sugar and calories, it packs the same amount of caffeine as regular Red Bull. Plus, as it contains artificial sweeteners, regular consumption may still increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

How can I drink energy drinks without damaging my teeth?

What can you do?.
Drink through a straw..
Don't hold the drink in your mouth before swallowing..
Rinse your mouth with water immediately after drinking this kind of beverage. ... .
Chew sugar-free gum immediately after, to increase saliva production..
Don't brush your teeth right after drinking an energy drink..