At our White Plains office we see families invest much of their time and energy into ensuring that their children have healthy good-looking smiles but then undermine that effort by allowing their children to drink sports and energy drinks. 

 

Providing age-appropriate dental care begins in infancy and it takes patience and perseverance, starting in toddlerhood, to teach children to take increasing responsibility for brushing and flossing. A well-balanced diet with limits on snacks that stick to the teeth giving bacteria a place to fester is vital. In addition, orthodontics and customs-fitted sports mouth guards are well worth the investment to ensure health through proper alignment. 

 

These efforts can all be undermined, if patients don't take the effort to avoid energy and sports beverages and sweet juices, which can be damaging to teeth. This is important for children in particular. In fact, a 2011 issues of Pediatrics confirmed that not only do children not need sports or energy drinks, but that the ingredients in these drinks can be particularly harmful to them.

 

Sports drinks are meant to replace water and electrolytes that the body loses after prolonged and strenuous sports and exercising. Typical childhood activities and exercise do not merit sports drinks. Sports drinks and the carbohydrates, minerals, and electrolytes they offer are completely unnecessary at most levels of exertion. Water is all that's needed for most activity. Consuming sports drinks just exposes children to unnecessary calories and can lead to enamel erosion and tooth decay if the child has a dry mouth after exerting themselves, because saliva is a natural buffer to protect against the acids in the sports drink. 

 

Energy drinks include stimulants not present in sports drinks and can be particularly damaging to children. Caffeine, which appears in extremely high concentrations in these drinks, has been linked to neurological and cardiovascular problems in children. The amount of caffeine in some of these energy drinks has been noted as being as much as 500 mg, which is equivalent to 14 cans of soda. Guarana seed and taurine are other stimulants used and individually none of these stimulants is appropriate for children. Together in energy drinks they can be quite dangerous. On top of all that energy drinks typically include sugar, which can and will contribute to tooth decay. 

 

In addition to these drinks, sodas, while containing less harmful stimulants, is no better. It has frequently been linked to cavities, dental erosion, obesity, and diabetes. Not just for children, but for all family members, water is the best option before, during, and after sports or other activity over sodas, sports drinks, or energy drinks. 

 

For more information on the potential harmful effects of sports and energy drinks consult your physician or visit us at www.AsnisEchelman.com