By : April Mouton, RDH

It’s back to school time and along with that comes fall sports.  Lots of parents have questions related to the sports drinks their children consume so frequently during practices and games.  This is an important topic which has the potential to impact your child’s oral health in a surprisingly short amount of time.  There are a couple of things we consider when evaluating a beverage’s effects on teeth:

• Sugar content
• Acid level (or pH)
• Frequency and duration of consumption

Most sports drinks contain an average of 28 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving… my Pepsi can says it contains 21 grams.  So as far as sugar is concerned, sports drinks are not too different from soda.

Acid levels in sports drinks are perhaps the most alarming statistic.  Anything with a pH (a measurement of acidity) of 5 or below is considered harmful to teeth.  Water has a pH of 7.  Propel has a pH of 3.2.  Gatorade has a pH of 2.95. Pepsi has a pH of 2.49.  Again, not much difference between soda and sports drinks. (Sources; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Coca-Cola Co.)

Finally, most children will consume a sports drink slowly over the course of a practice or game and on multiple occasions throughout the week.  The exposure time of the teeth to the harmful sugars and acids really adds up and can begin to break down enamel very quickly.

It is my professional opinion that sports drinks are not a necessary or desired addition to a child’s regular diet.  These beverages are marketed as health drinks but in reality are not any more beneficial than a soda.  Dr. Wilson and I agree that water is still the best choice for rehydrating your children after exercise.