Diet Coke.. Effect on teeth?

Denisejcc

Hi all, getting teeth sorted at the moment with a great dentist that specialises in looking after nervous folk like me! But was just wondering does anyone know just how bad diet coke is for your teeth? Im wondering if that has led to my problems now as I used to drink several bottles a day! I would have aksed dentist this but can never manage to speak too well due to nerves!! Thanks

georgieporgy

Coke is your problem buddy. diet coke is just as bad as the real thing. one litre a year is probably ok.

Denisejcc

thanks for the reply. . I was drinking at least 5 500ml bottles a day but not anymore! Have to go cold turkey! Got quite a shock in the dentist this week very annoyed with myself! Im lucky to have such an understanding non lecturing dentist!!!!
:rolleyes:
Chocolate also banned until Im sorted and then only after meals

glaston

georgieporgy wrote: »

Coke is your problem buddy. diet coke is just as bad as the real thing. one litre a year is probably ok.

What’s doing the damage, acid or something? I thought the absence of sugar made it ok, less food the bugs and all that.
I'm prone to cavities and often drank diet coke thinking that it was ok.

How about orange juice???
Please say its ok....:(

Denisejcc

Not sure about OJ Glaston.. Im no expert but I think it has a high acidity level and is also high in natural sugars.. could be wrong, Im sure an expert will answer...

ballsymchugh

acid acid acid!!

coke has a ph of 2.5, diet coke has a ph of 2. given that ph is a logarithmic scale (ie ph of 2 is 10 times worse than ph of 3) then diet is just plain bad.

acid (oj/coke/fizzy/citrus) causes enamel to become demineralised, making it weaker to the effect of bacteria which cause decay. because of the manner in which you drink, the acid hits the front of the teeth first and the problem starts there.
'prone to cavities' usually means bad hygiene and diet. if i was your dentist i'd have you on milk and tap water (purely for the fluoride)!!
2.5 litres of coke a day though.... you may wanna check for stomach issues!!

Denisejcc

Thanks for that! Have given up DC as of today, drinking water as we speak with a blinding headache now! Cold turkey!!

My dentist will be responsible for me giving up Diet Coke and chocolate and I will love him for it in the long run!!!!!

The Big Red Button

As far as I know, if you use straws it reduces the damage a lot? Anyone know if there's any truth to that?

I still never remember to use them though, and I drink way way too much Diet Coke ... I'm dreading going to the dentist again.

Denisejcc

Go chatterpillar, I left it 2 years, no permanent damage but I could have avoided a lot of stress,i wont say pain as my dentist doesnt cause any!! I was a Diet Coke fiend too as per previous comment , giving up now! Trying to :rolleyes:

ballsymchugh

hmmm straws... transfers the problem to the inside!!

Denisejcc

but fruit is bad too isnt it? you just cant win

ballsymchugh

ok, small lesson time.

sugar+bacteria+time+teeth= tooth decay

bacteria make acid from the sugar and use it to attack the teeth. and the acidic environment makes it easier for the bacteria to multiply.

but if you have good hygiene ie brush PROPERLY often enough and all that, then the time factor will go down and decrease chances of decay.
if you have a good diet, then the sugar will go down.
if you have no teeth, well then you can't get decay.
and it's pretty much impossible to completely clear up the bacteria (there's often stories in the news about a vaccine of some sort against the bacteria, but nothing much yet).

so you could be like me, eats loads of chocolate but brush about 3 or 4 times a day so the time is decreased.
but if you drink anything acidic, it attacks the enamel and helps the bacteria work away until your saliva buffers the ph back to normal. so the best way to drink coke is down in one. drinking 2.5 litres a day pretty much keeps your mouth acidic for the whole day.

Denisejcc

My problem is gums not teeth so i presume the same applies to gums!?

ballsymchugh

not really. different bacteria do the damage (there's hundreds of them really). but the same about hygiene still applies. spend quality time brushing (at least 3 mins, slowly and thoroughly), floss EVERY DAY!! if you see bleeding, that means that you haven't been cleaning properly and need to do that bit more thoroughly.
bleeding = inflammation, and
inflammation = dirt.

so, if you ease on brushing when you see bleeding, then more dirt, more inflammation, more bleeding. it's a vicious circle that one!!

Denisejcc

Thats exactly what the hygienest said to me today! Are you a dentist yourself?

ballsymchugh

maybe...

georgieporgy

ballsymchugh wrote: »

maybe...

Ah! I bet you are a dentist's husband.

Denisejcc

The name ballsymchugh sounds like a mans name to me Georgie!!!! :rolleyes::D:rolleyes::D

georgieporgy

glaston wrote: »

What’s doing the damage, acid or something? I thought the absence of sugar made it ok, less food the bugs and all that.
I'm prone to cavities and often drank diet coke thinking that it was ok.

How about orange juice???
Please say its ok....:(

Unsweetened orange juice is ok for the average person. it's unlikely you will drink too much for the acidity to be a real problem. coke and apple juice are the main problem drinks. people who like them tend to drink too much of them. (a bit like alcohol). likewise sucking mints. if folks would avoid these 3 items we would see far lees tooth decay.

Denisejcc

The 3 items were coke, apple juice and mints right? :eek:
not alcohol? :eek:

georgieporgy

Denisejcc wrote: »

The 3 items were coke, apple juice and mints right? :eek:
not alcohol? :eek:

yes. sorry for the confusion

Denisejcc

Ha ha thanks! Bulmers Light is my poison anyway so that cant be too bad!?:rolleyes: dont answer that I cant give that up aswell!:D

georgieporgy

Denisejcc wrote: »

The name ballsymchugh sounds like a mans name to me Georgie!!!! :rolleyes::D:rolleyes::D

whatever he/she/it is, the advice given is right on the button.

Denisejcc

georgieporgy wrote: »

whatever he/she/it is, the advice given is right on the button.

Yep same as what I was told , he must be a fellow dentist then Georgie!!:D

ballsymchugh

denise, milk and water. anything else is nada!! it'll have some acid or sugar in it. alcohol changes the ph. not as much, but in a susceptible mouth, it adds up.
as for being a dentist's husband... nah!!

Denisejcc

ballsymchugh wrote: »

denise, milk and water. anything else is nada!! it'll have some acid or sugar in it. alcohol changes the ph. not as much, but in a susceptible mouth, it adds up.
as for being a dentist's husband... nah!!

I cant survive on milk and water! I can get a long neck of slimline milk in a bar can I??:D:rolleyes::D Ile cut down though definitely!! No alcohol for breakfast from now on...

Mad_Max

ballsymchugh wrote: »

milk and water.
as for being a dentist's husband... nah!!

ballsymchugh wrote: »

milk and tap water

ballsymchugh wrote: »

as for being a dentist's husband... nah!!

Are you a milk salesman then?

ballsymchugh

Mad_Max wrote: »

Are you a milk salesman then?

damn!!

BryanL

I'll have nothing bad said about Coke, it's the greatest thing since sugar:D:D:D

georgieporgy

BryanL wrote: »

I'll have nothing bad said about Coke, it's the greatest thing since sugar:D:D:D

that had to be post number 666

Denisejcc

Oooh its a sign,, Coke is evil!! :eek:

BryanL

BryanL wrote: »

I'll have nothing bad said about Coke, it's the greatest thing since sugar:D:D:D

I'm sorry, that was the Devil talking

Denisejcc

It must have been, thats the only possible explanation!

Getting on great on my 2nd day of no Diet Coke, water is yum NOT!! And Im not getting any blinding headaches at all :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Penn

Denisejcc wrote: »

It must have been, thats the only possible explanation!

Getting on great on my 2nd day of no Diet Coke, water is yum NOT!! And Im not getting any blinding headaches at all :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I was in a similar boat a few months back, although Lucozade was my kryptonite. I used to really hate water too, got headaches, no taste etc.

As we speak, I have a bottle of water beside me and have no problems with it at all now. Keep it up, it does get easier. And cheaper

Denisejcc

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I was in a similar boat a few months back, although Lucozade was my kryptonite. I used to really hate water too, got headaches, no taste etc.

As we speak, I have a bottle of water beside me and have no problems with it at all now. Keep it up, it does get easier. And cheaper

Thanks Paddy, Well done you, Im impressed!!! Im a determined woman so no matter what I will never drink diet coke again! Ile just have to put up with the pain!:rolleyes:

glaston

ballsymchugh wrote: »

'prone to cavities' usually means bad hygiene and diet. if i was your dentist i'd have you on milk and tap water (purely for the fluoride)!!
2.5 litres of coke a day though.... you may wanna check for stomach issues!!

Didnt taste coke until I was about 12, I drink about a litre of milk a day (used to be more as a child). There is no fluoride in the water where I live.
I drink a max of three cans of diet coke a week.
Brush regularly, flossing is a bit patchy.
Last dentist described my teeth as like chalk!

glaston

Oh and another thing...what about sugar free gum.
I always try to chew a bit of gum after meals when I cant brush my teeth.
Is this good practice?

Denisejcc

glaston wrote: »

Oh and another thing...what about sugar free gum.
I always try to chew a bit of gum after meals when I cant brush my teeth.
Is this good practice?

As far as I know this is good practice Glaston once its sugar free of course