If you drink several carbonated sodas every day, you owe it to yourself to read this article we found at worlddental.org, published July 6, 2012.

Carbonated sodas and what they do to your teeth

If you drink carbonated sodas on a regular basis, your teeth are exposed to a high risk of damage. You might think that you have healthy teeth because you regularly brush and floss. You may also use a good mouthwash, so, you might ask, what is there to be afraid of?

Plenty, especially if you are like the majority of Americans and love to drink carbonated soft drinks and sodas. According to a 2011 AdAge report, the average American consumes 44.7 gallons, or 375 pounds of soft drink beverages every year.

Those carbonated soft drinks and sodas contain large amounts of sugar. For instance, a 12oz. can of soda can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar. If you drink three sodas every day, you are drinking 210 teaspoons of sugar every week.

Mountain Dew is a brand loved by kids and adults alike, but each 20oz. bottle contains about 20 teaspoons of sugar. If you drink three bottles daily, you are drinking 420 teaspoons of sugar every week — a huge amount of sugar for a soft drink that is supposed to hydrate your body and give you some energy.

The other big danger of carbonated drinks is the acid they contain. These drinks generally contain large amounts of harmful acids that eat away your tooth enamel. Once your tooth structure becomes exposed, tooth decay is the next problem to appear. If you drink two liters of a sugary soda per day, you can lose most of your tooth enamel in one season…or a just few months’ time.

Tooth enamel erosion is extremely harmful. Train yourself to look at the package label to become more aware of the amount of sugars contained in the sodas you choose to drink. Do not bathe your teeth in acid if it is not necessary. Make healthy choices and protect your teeth from enamel erosion and dental decay…every day.

More information can be found at these links

By the numbers: What Americans drink every year
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/27/americans-soda-beer_n_885340.html

Half of Americans sip sugary drinks daily
http://www.cnn.com/2011/08/31/health/soda-drinking-habits/index.html