Many of us remember how a teacher in a science class would demonstrate the dangers of sugar by dropping a tooth into a coke bottle and the tooth would disappear in a few days.

Researchers have now proven that also other drinks as cokes, ice tea cans and even diet drinks can weaken and corrode the tooth enamel. As a result, the average American who drinks two cans of soda a day, is exposing his teeth to damages. A typical 3,3 deciliter can contains 10 teaspoons of sugar but that is not the only ingredient to blame.

The malic, tartaric, citric and phosphoric acids that give a nice and tart flavor are especially corrosive to the enamel that protects the tooth. The sugar can cause problems but it is not nearly as damaging as the acids. The acids remove calcium out of tooth enamel.

In a research, a healthy removed tooth was exposed to various popular drinks for two weeks. Surprisingly, some artificially flavoured drinks were more damaging than their sucrose- or fructose-sweetened counterparts. Other drinks were more damaging than cola drinks. Sodas and flavoured teas were worse on enamel than normal teas, coffee and root beer. Drinking soft drinks with meals was less damaging than without food, which prolongs the exposure of teeth to acids. The research was published in the journal of the Academy of General Dentistry.