It’s commonly known that sugary drinks like soda and sports drinks are some of the biggest causes of tooth decay and gum disease, two things that sometimes require emergency dental treatment or a cosmetic dentistry procedure. And when tooth decay is the top chronic childhood disease in the world, avoiding drinks like these is a no-brainer for your family’s dental health.
But what about juice?
Many people and their family dentists may think that drinking juice is just as bad for teeth as other sugar-laden beverages, because they contain just as much sugar even though they’re a bit more natural.
And that’s true — because many of the juices we drink are actually “juice drinks,” which aren’t 100% juice but rather fruit juice diluted with water and likely containing added sugar and other ingredients like citric acid, which slowly eats away at the teeth.
But when it comes to 100% fruit juice, drink away — because a new study has found that it has no negative effects on teeth.
According to a Dec. 1 Rochdale News article, newly-released data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reveals that children who drink four to six ounces of 100% fruit juice every day didn’t experience tooth decay because they drank the juice.
Nor has research yet found any relationship between drinking 100% fruit juice and obesity, another health issue becoming increasingly common among American children, Forbes reports.
So if you want to make your family’s teeth healthier — and your family dentist happier — be sure to buy only drinks labeled as containing 100% fruit juice from the grocery store. And if you’re not sure if a beverage is 100% juice or not, a quick glance at the ingredients label should let you know.
What do you think about these findings? Share your thoughts along with any other questions you may have about teeth cleaning and the dentist office with us in the comments below.