According to the American Dental Association, soda can erode tooth enamel. However, what most people do not know is that sports drink might erode teeth as well. Soda’s acidity is the reason soda can soften teeth enamel. If sports drinks are acidic enough, they can erode tooth enamel too. [See: Can Sports Drinks Lead to the Erosion of Tooth Enamel?]
In this experiment, the pH of six different sports drinks: Gatorade, Powerade, MVP, Propel, SoBe, and Vitamin Water, was tested and recorded using a pH testing kit. Then, the yolk of 18 eggs was blown out of the eggs without cracking the egg shells.
Egg shells and teeth are similar in the material makeup; egg shells contain calcium carbonate and teeth contain calcium phosphate. This similarity allowed egg shells to represent teeth.
Each sports drink was then placed in a glass with an egg for one hour for trial one, two hours for trial two, and three hours for trial three. The lower the pH of a liquid was, the softer the eggshell (representing a tooth) became.
The only two drinks that definitely softened the eggshell were Gatorade and MVP, both drinks with a pH value of 4.0.
The hardness of the egg shell was tested before being placed in the sports drinks using the Mohs Hardness Scale. The egg shell’s hardness was between 2.5 and 3.0; it was able to be scratched with a penny, but not with a fingernail. A penny has a known hardness of 3.0, whereas a fingernail has a known hardness of 2.5.
After each eggshell was in the sports drink, the hardness of the shell was tested again. The two egg shells that were in Gatorade and MVP were now able to be scratched with a fingernail.
The other drinks might have softened the eggshell, but the hardness of the eggshell was in the same range as the hardness of the eggshells that were originally placed in Powerade, water, Propel, SoBe, and Vitamin Water. Therefore, it cannot be determined if these drinks softened the eggshell. In a future experiment, researchers might be able to get a more specific hardness of the eggshells if more minerals with a known hardness are available to them.
Sports drinks are very popular among athletes and non-athletes. According to the American Dental Association, “The consumption of soft drinks, including carbonated beverages, fruit juice and sport drinks, in the United States has increased by 500% over the past 50 years.” Athletes drink sports drinks to increase their energy during a game. Many of my classmates also drink sports drinks either to replenish the liquid they have lost when exercising or for the taste.
According to the International Dental Health Foundation, acidic drinks can soften tooth enamel. Enamel is the layer on the very outside of the tooth. It protects what is inside the tooth and if it is softened, it can lead to tooth erosion. Sports drinks are considered to be weak acids. That is why in the experiment the sports drinks that were the most acidic were the drinks that softened the eggshell the most. Catherine Gloss
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This article is very interesting because I didn’t know sports were soo bad for your teeth. I also learned that egg shells are made of similair things such as calcium carbonate !:wah
Wow water isnt all that great to drink when working out because you can get cramps but gatorade, powderade etc gives a good electrolyte boost and helps you sweat less. Now im having second thoughts about sports drinks
:good It made me rethink the energy drinks I drink
This is kind of akward because they say that Sports drinks are good for you but from the look of the article its not good for you because the thinks that are inside.
Very surprising article. Gatorade is something i drink everyday with almost every dinner meal. But now im having second thoughts. Thanks for the information. Great article.
This is very intersting. I never thought about sport drinks being bad for our teeth. I wonder will they cause damage over time. :smile
Thanks for the tip.our school has propel.were trying to get the school to take them away .because there bad for you
Drink it through a straw, straight down the back of the throat. Then swish with water – it has an amazing ability to restore pH balance and will help remove any excess acids and sugars. Never, ever brush straight after.. you’ll coat your teeth with syrup, sugars and acids. Instead, wait around 1 hour. Also beware of ‘energy’ drinks masquerading as sports drinks; the ‘boost’ is mostly just sugar and caffeine.. in mammoth doses. They throw in a couple of vitamins to get by the branding. Most stuff is fine in moderation and saliva, in combination with water swishing, is a wonderful aid to re-mineralization. So does a regular, healthy diet. You don’t need to go over-board with these drinks and many of them are just junk.
this makes me think twice before drinking another sports drink
The information in this article is a great way to try to avoide tooth erosion in some sports drink.
ive always thought that sports drinks were good for you. After reading the article, ive realized that they arent so good. Thank!
this makes me dizy:@@
Who cares that this will happen, you can drink all you want. It will only get bad if you don’t brush your teeth soon after.
:smile:flag:shy:arhh:yes:good:huh:gamba:why:shh:zzz:cried:wuwu:invite:sweat:wah:@@:ak:erm:congrate
:smile:flag:shy:arhh:yes:good:huh:gamba:why:shh:zzz:cried:wuwu:invite:sweat:wah:@@:ak:erm:congrate
If you poke a hole on each end, put a straw on one side and blow on it. The yould should comeout of the other hole.
[code][/code]. Haha this is an amazing experiment I love it
I Think that this is ok
I really like how you included an experiment in your article to explain this concept more. I would maybe suggest explaining what pH is though, for people who don’t know what it is. I also have one question: "Were the ADA the ones doing the experiment? Or was is someone else?"