Summer Is Here And You're Kids Are Thirsty, But Beware of What They Drink!

As summer arrives and the temperatures increase, so do your kid's thirst.  A lot of us are looking for something tasty to quench our thirst, but keep in mind that sports drinks, sodas, diet drinks, lemonades, and even fruit juices contain high amounts of sugar and dangerous levels of acid.  Although dental decay is multifactorial, what you sip on all day can play a very large role in the erosion of tooth enamel.  Constant exposure to sugars and acids (such as those found in popular "diet/sugar-free" drinks) from frequent sipping leaves the saliva in your mouth in a vulnerable acidic/low ph state that is difficult to neutralize.  Considering some soft drinks have upwards of 10-12 teaspoons of suger per 12 oz. serving, and some juices and sports drinks have a ph closer to that of your stomach/gastric acid, it is best to limit these to "special" occasions for your children.  The precise amount of acid in a drink isn't something beverage companies have to declare on the label, so be forwarned if the ingredients include: citric acid, phosphoric acid, etc.  The safest choice is always water.  Water is the best way to hydrate your body and neutralize the acids in your mouth....just think of it like nature's cavity fighter!