The acid test: Low-pH drinks create havoc with dental health

General dentists see daily the effects of frequent consumption of soda and other sweetened beverages.

Children and adults present with caries (tooth decay)—holes in a multitude of colors; chalky white enamel that disintegrates to the touch; light brown and tar-black dentin that is squishy and weak.

These conditions are often painful, impacting patients’ overall health and well-being. Many are faced with a long, and often expensive, path back to health, and the maintenance is lifelong.

But are all sugar-sweetened beverages the same?

Dr. Claire Hemphill of Hemphill Dental is an alumna of the Purdue Fort Wayne College of Science and a member of its Community Advisory Council. Read her opinion column in The Journal Gazette (subscription required).