Can Sodas Lead to Needing Dentures?

Question submitted by Don

I’m having some problems with my teeth. There’s a lot of decay and my gums are bleeding. My dentist said if I don’t stop drinking sodas that I am going to need dentures. Can sodas really do that?

Don

Dear Don,

There’s a lot going on here and I want you to bear in mind that I haven’t examined you, so I’m going based on what you’ve said above. The bleeding gums is a symptom of gum disease. This needs to be addressed right away or you can end up losing your teeth. Untreated gum disease will lead to tooth loss.

The decay can be caused by excessive soda drinking. That doesn’t mean you have to give up sodas altogether. If you change a few things about how you handle your soda drinking. First, don’t drink them all day long. This is a lot of sugar, plus when you snack or drink (other than water) often, it negates your saliva’s ability to fight decay.

Second, soda contains citric acid. The same is true of things like orange juice. That acid will eat away at the enamel if left there or ground into the enamel. If you’re going to brush your teeth after drinking, take a second to rinse out your mouth for a few seconds with water. This will help neutralize the acid.

Finally, actually drink the soda. Don’t let it sit in your mouth. Otherwise that will eat away at your teeth and you’ll quickly end up with serious decay.

I want to give a note about dentures. If you do end up needing them down the road, then you will want to make sure that you get implant supported dentures. Otherwise your lower jawbone will start to shrink and you’ll end up with a condition known as facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you by Tucson Prosthodontist Dr. Howard Steinberg.