Diet soda junkies, beware! Gulping down excessive amounts of soda can damage teeth as badly as methamphetamine or crack cocaine, a new study has warned.
Methamphetamine, crack cocaine and soda - sweetened or not - are all highly acidic and can cause similar dental problems, according to Dr Mohamed Bassiouny, professor of restorative dentistry at the Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia.
"You look at it side-to-side with 'meth mouth' or 'coke mouth,' it is startling to see the intensity and extent of damage more or less the same," Bassiouny said.
The acid in soda is in the form of citric acid and phosphoric acid, Bassiouny said, adding without good dental hygiene, constant exposure can cause erosion and significant oral damage, 'HealthDay News' reported.
In the study, Bassiouny found that a woman in her 30s who drank two litres of diet soda daily for three to five years experienced tooth rot and decay remarkably similar to that suffered by a 29-year-old methamphetamine addict and a 51-year-old habitual crack cocaine user.
The younger man had used methamphetamine for three years, and often downed two or three cans of regular soda a day because the drugs made his mouth so dry. The older man reported an 18-year history of crack abuse, the report said.
The woman admitted that she had not seen a dentist in many years, according to the study. She also associated sweetened beverages with a higher risk of tooth decay.
Her teeth were soft and discoloured, with many destroyed by erosion. She usually sipped the beverage directly from a can or a bottle, and held the soda in her mouth before swallowing, Bassiouny said.
"None of the teeth affected by erosion were salvageable," Bassiouny said. The woman had to have all of her teeth removed and replaced with dentures.
However, a group representing soft drink manufacturers said this case study should not be seen as an indictment of diet sodas generally.
The study was published in the journal General Dentistry.
