Fizzy drinks are a guilty pleasure for many people, potentially including your entire family. While it's an easy thing to put in the cart at the grocery store, these beverages could have a lasting negative impact on your teeth. Here's what you need to know about the health of your family's teeth and carbonated drinks.

Sugar

The vast majority of carbonated drinks contain a considerable amount of sugar. Sodas, energy drinks, and even some beers are often packed with sugar that can pose a serious threat to your dental health. Chances are that you already know that sugar can cause cavities, as the bacteria responsible for plaque and tartar love sugar and thrive in its presence. This makes most carbonated drinks a serious problem.

Carbonation

Of course, you might be thinking, not all carbonated drinks contain sugar. There's diet drinks, sparkling water, and others that are just bubbly and don't have a drop of sugar in them. Unfortunately, these beverages aren't immune from blame, either.

Carbonated drinks that don't contain sugar are still a problem due to the carbonation itself. The pH level of carbonation is acidic, meaning that it can potentially harm the enamel of your teeth. Ideally, avoiding carbonation entirely is best if you're worried about your family's oral health.

Protection

To help protect your family's teeth, the first thing you should do is completely drop carbonated, sugary beverages. Of course, that's not always possible for every family, so here are a few ideas on how else you can protect your teeth.

Ideally, you should brush your teeth after consuming any sugary drink. So if you're drinking soda, that means brushing after you're done with your glass. However, the acidity of the carbonation can temporarily soften your tooth enamel, increasing the risk of damage. So rinse with a little water first, wait a few minutes, and then brush your teeth.

In addition, talk to a dentist about getting dental sealants put on your child's teeth. These act as an extra layer of protection between your child's teeth and bacteria and plaque, and they will help to protect them from developing cavities.

Taking care of your family's teeth to your upmost ability might mean making some sacrifices at home. If you can't cut out sugary carbonated beverages entirely, try to at least make the switch to sugar-free ones, and make sure that you're seeing your dentist regularly to protect the health of your entire family's teeth and gums.

Visit a dentistry like Rupp and Grabowski Family Dentistry to learn more.