Acid and Sugar
The acidity of a food or drink can be described by the pH score. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. A low pH value indicates acidic solutions and high pH indicates basic solutions, with the neutral point being a pH value of 7. Good drinking water has a neutral pH value of 7.
Because the pH scale is logarithmic, know that a pH value of 4 is ten times more acidic than a value of pH 5 and 100 times more acidic than a pH value of 6.
I found a chart of pH testing results from Clermont College. Though they only did a limited number of tests on some of the items, I thought the comparative results of the various items were interesting. Selecting a couple of drink options, the Clermont chart shows Coke at 2.73 (paper reading), 3.80 (meter reading) and Gatorade at 2.73 (paper reading), 4.02 (meter reading).
A second reference from the Minnesota Dental Association has Coca-Cola Classic at a pH of 2.4 and Gatorade at 2.9. This chart also lists sugar content. Coca-Cola has 10 teaspoons and Gatorade has 5 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounce serving.
I'm not picking on Gatorade here, it just happens to be the sports drink most tested by various sources. I suspect several other sports drinks would have pH values similar to Gatorade. Maybe this column will spark a good experiment?
If you do an internet search on pH values of various foods and drinks, you will find that the values do vary from source to source. I suspect this has to do with testing methods and the specific product formula tested.
What Can You Do?
If you are an endurance athlete doing long workouts, there's no getting around the fact that you need fuel and hydration. Both doctors Mioduski and Singiser agree that what you can do is swish and rinse your mouth out with plain water after consuming sports drinks and bars. This reduces the available carbohydrates remaining in the mouth to ultimately generate the acid that can promote tooth decay. They also note that you need to take care of your teeth outside of the sports arena as well.
Dr. Mioduski says, "The same basic rules of dental hygiene apply to athletes as with any other patient. Brush and floss regularly, and see a dentist for routine cleanings. There are also certain types of toothpaste that we can prescribe that have higher fluoride content, and can help teeth resist cavity development."
References
Clermont College Biology Testing ResultsDrinks Destroy Teeth—Minnesota Dental Association
Elmhurst College
Implant & General Dentistry of Northern Colorado, Dr. Theo Mioduski III
Minnesota Dental Association, Sip All Day, Get Decay
Peak to Peak Periodontics, Dr. R.T. Singiser
Sugar and Acid is Double Trouble—Minnesota Dental Association
