My dentist made me paranoid about Coca Cola

[snoopy369]

Well, i'm referring to the most recent one so you probably aren't getting my jokes

[ZEE]

well, i wasn't joking.

[Krill]

She talked about Coca Cola as if it were the devil itself.
She said I should only drink during lunch or supper and brush immediataly after eating.

Should I obey her?

See's an idiot. Drink when you are thirsty, but don't drink liquids that are too acidic (orange juice for instance, is quite acidic).

Really, she should be shouted at quite severely for giving such advice, stupid *****.

[snoopy369]

I assume she meant, if he were to drink cola, he should only drink it while eating. That way the acids are spread around a bit.

[Asher]

Your dentist is a moron. My dentist has told me my teeth would rot out with all of the coke I've been drinking. 25 years later and about 2L of coke per day ( - not joking) and my teeth are perfectly fine.

Just counteract with a high fluoride toothpaste (I use Prevident 5000) and/or a fluoride rinse (Oromin). All available OTC.

[DirtyMartini]

I'm pretty sure dental health is a crap shoot.

One of my good friends growing up was a three times/day brusher, no soda, few sweets, etc.

Elementary school I was a: maybe I'll brush this morning (I know...gross), sneak to bed without brushing, drink as much pop as I can get my hands on kid. Even by jr. high/HS I was only an every morning, 80% of nights brusher.

That kid had the whitest teeth I've ever seen (at least in the era before bleaches were common), but had 2-3 cavities every year. I've never had a single cavity in my life.

[Theben]

Interesting note I read: all plaque and cavities are spread by a certain bacteria that will only be present in your mouth if you've had someone else's saliva in your mouth who has that bacteria. Usually your parents give it to you- warming pacifiers, partially chewing food when you were a baby. If you can avoid this somehow you could eat/drink pretty much whatever and not have to worry about tooth decay... at least until you swap spit with your 1st girlfriend.

But yeah, colas are really bad for your teeth and bones. It's not so much the acid (which is bad) but the phosphorus which leaches calcium from your teeth and bones.

[Colonâ„¢]

She talked about Coca Cola as if it were the devil itself.
She said I should only drink during lunch or supper and brush immediataly after eating.

Should I obey her?

Get. Yourself. Another. Dentist. Brushing immediatly after drinking cola is exactly what you should NOT do. The acid will softens your teeth enamel and it will 'wash' away if you brush it shortly after drinking. This is also the case with orange juice and other acidic drinks.

[snoopy369]

Interesting note I read: all plaque and cavities are spread by a certain bacteria that will only be present in your mouth if you've had someone else's saliva in your mouth who has that bacteria. Usually your parents give it to you- warming pacifiers, partially chewing food when you were a baby. If you can avoid this somehow you could eat/drink pretty much whatever and not have to worry about tooth decay... at least until you swap spit with your 1st girlfriend.

But yeah, colas are really bad for your teeth and bones. It's not so much the acid (which is bad) but the phosphorus which leaches calcium from your teeth and bones.

Phosphoric ACID, theben. Acid.

Actually, phosphorus doesn't seem to be harmful to bone density - see the wiki entry. It's not entirely clear, but at least one good study showed phosphorus/ic acid didn't seem to be related.

Also from wiki, an interesting note:

Phosphoric acid is used in dentistry and orthodontics as an etching solution, to clean and roughen the surfaces of teeth where dental appliances or fillings will be placed. Phosphoric acid is also an ingredient in over-the-counter anti-nausea medications that also contain high levels of sugar (glucose and fructose). It should not be used by diabetics without consultation with a doctor. This acid is also used in teeth whiteners to eliminate any plaque that may be on your teeth.

Maybe your dentist was just a bit worried you'd displace her

[Apocalypse]

It is actually secret but Coke removes plaque and won't hurt your enamel *as long as you do not brush*

All you have to worry about really is gum disease but that can be prevented by brushing/flossing about once a week as long as you consume a lot of cola.

[SlowwHand]

Have you ever poured coke on a corroded battery terminal in your car? Try it, then let's talk about "evil dentists".

[MrFun]

It is actually secret but Coke removes plaque and won't hurt your enamel *as long as you do not brush*

All you have to worry about really is gum disease but that can be prevented by brushing/flossing about once a week as long as you consume a lot of cola.

[chequita guevara]

You can do the same with plain old seltzer, Slowwy.

The biggest danger from cola isn't the phosphoric acid, it's the sugar, which the bacteria in your mouth turn to lactic acid. Cola's worse than 7-Up, whether diet or regular, but diet cola is better for your teeth than regular 7-Up.

low carb diet = less cavities

[onodera]

She talked about Coca Cola as if it were the devil itself.
She said I should only drink during lunch or supper and brush immediataly after eating.

Should I obey her?

No, switch to Pepsi.

[Sarxis]

Your body will use its calcium to neutralize phosphoric acid. That is why it is a good idea (well, one of many reasons) not to drink colas.