US dentist publishes gruesome pictures to show the damage caused by fizzy drinks
An American dentist has published a series of gruesome images to show the damage popular fizzy drinks and energy drinks can cause to the teeth.
Although it’s not strictly true that a tooth will dissolve in a glass of cola overnight, Dr Tom Bierman’s photographs show the alarming damage these sugary, acidic drinks can cause. Dr Bierman decided to investigate the relationship between enamel erosion and the consumption of popular drinks after reading a book by Jonathan Waldman, which suggested that 1 in 7 new energy drinks are so corrosive that they’re not suitable for aluminium containers. Speaking to a US magazine, Dr Bierman questioned the impact these drinks could have on the mouth if they’re not safe to be stored in aluminium tins.
Dr Bierman used his own wisdom teeth, which had been extracted in his 20’s for the trials. He put one tooth in a jar with cola, one with an energy drink, one with diet cola and one in water. After two weeks, the tooth in cola was almost black in colour and the one in diet colour had become discoloured, although the shade was not nearly as dark. The tooth in the energy drink was by far the most damaged. The tooth had patches of rusty pink staining, and lumps of the enamel had crumbled away to expose the dentine beneath. The energy drink used was actually a sugar-free version, which makes the results even more worrying.
Although Dr Bierman recognises the limitations of the trial, he suggests that there are lessons to be learned. Even though the damage may not be so significant when the teeth are not constantly exposed to these drinks, the evidence to suggest that they have a detrimental impact on dental health is overwhelming.
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