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Boussiouny said.
The woman had been drinking diet soda for years because she was worried that reg
ular soda would cause her to gain weight. She was aware of the risks associated
with consuming artificially sweetened beverages, but admitted that she hadn t seen
a dentist in years.
The American Beverage Association responded to the results of the study, defendi
ng the consumption of diet soda and telling Health Day News that the woman s lack
of dentist visits was the primary cause of her tooth decay.
The woman referenced in this article did not receive dental health services for
more than 20 years
two-thirds of her life, the group said in a statement. To singl
e out diet soda consumption as the unique factor in her tooth decay and erosion
and to compare it to that from illicit drug use is irresponsible . The body of ava
ilable science does not support that beverages are a unique factor in causing to
oth decay or erosion.
But Dr. Eugene Antenucci, a spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, said
he has seen the effects of diet soda in many addicts, and explained that some o
f them experienced very deep brown stains, where it s actually eroded into the toot
h, and the teeth are soft and leathery.
Most diet soda consumers will never see such effects, but to ensure clean and he
althy teeth, Antenucci advises that they wash away the acidity of the substance
with water after drinking soda, brushing their teeth at least twice daily and dr
inking in moderation.
Diet soda
like crack cocaine and meth
is highly acidic, which wears away enamel
and causes teeth to become susceptible to cavities. Colas, for example, have ero
sive potential 10 times that of fruit juice, according to a previous 2007 study
published in General Dentistry. This study found that teeth immersed in Coke, P
epsi, RC Cola, Squirt, Surge, 7 Up and Diet 7 Up lost more than five percent of
their weight, due to enamel erosion. The most acidic soft drink studied at the t
ime was RC Cola, which had a pH of 2.387. Cherry Coke had a pH level of 2.522 an
d Coke had a pH level of 2.525. Battery acid, in comparison, has a pH level of 1
.0, and pure water has a pH level of 7.0.
Thomas P. Connelly, a New York-based cosmetic dentist, says that diet soda consu
mers tend to drink more of the substance than those who consume regular sodas, w
hich is often a factor in their tooth erosion. With many Americans convinced tha
t the sugar-free drinks will prevent them from gaining weight, they can quickly
become addicted and self-inflict tooth damage, like drug users.
I don t know how many times I ve heard, I m addicted to diet coke from a patient,
in a Huffington Post blog. Even though it has sugar, I d almost rather see people
drink regular pop, because I m convinced that one or two regular pops are less dam
aging than seven of the diet version (again, people who drink diet soda tend to
drink a lot of it). But truthfully, I d rather see people drink neither.
he wrot