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Do Energy Drinks Make Your Teeth Yellow? (Think Before Smiling)

In short, energy drinks not only change the color of your teeth but can also erode your enamel, making you more vulnerable to stains.

The popularity of energy drinks is something that can not be ignored.

With more and more energy drinks, the side effects of energy drinks on the human body are also appearing over time.

Energy drinks are marketed and advertised as beverages that can increase the energy and focus of their consumers.

Although Energy drinks give you boosting energy and alertness, some of their ingredients can also give rise to some health issues.

According to a survey, around 90 percent of US youth consume an energy drink daily.

The caffeine and sugar content in energy drinks may lead to some severe diseases if not controlled.

The problem lies in the fact that caffeine and sugar produce their dependency on consumers.

When they become addicted to energy drinks, they somehow can not stop drinking, knowing the consequences.

So if you want to know more about energy drinks making your teeth yellow, keep reading for some hidden facts.

Ingredients in Energy Drinks that Can Make Your Teeth Yellow

The best way to analyze a product’s pros and cons is through its chemistry. Learning about the components of a product gives you a more detailed version of its quality and its effects on your health.

Energy drinks have many ingredients, some of which give you better health while others affect it very badly, making you more vulnerable to other serious diseases.

The more you learn about these ingredients, the better it is for you to pick your energy drinks wisely.

Given below is a table of energy drinks ingredients which is commonly found in almost all energy drinks and their role in the human body:

NutrientsRole in Body
CaffeineCaffeine increases the energy, focus, and mental reaction of consumers but it can also cause many other complications like insomnia, nausea, and dehydration.
SugarSugar can give you instant energy and give you more concentration but at the same time, it can lead to tooth decay, cavities, and diabetes.
VitaminsVitamins are necessary for the human body to take on a regular basis as they strengthen our bones, convert food into energy, form genetic material and manage the flow of fluid in our body.
Primary ingredients in energy drinks and their role in the human body

Let’s get into the details of some ingredients that can affect your health without further ado.

Caffeine

Image of coffee beans.
Caffeine boosts the erosion of enamel and increases acidity in our mouth

Caffeine has a wide range of functions in our body, from giving you energy and focus to eroding your enamel and caffeine dependency.

There are many studies done on the effect of caffeine on our mind and body, and each one shows some benefits and drawbacks, but we will only cover those important ones.

According to a study, caffeine affects our CNS in such a way that it stops the adenosine hormone secretion, which makes our body tired and lousy.

So when the release of adenosine is stopped, and the release of dopamine increases, our body feels alive and focused.

Moreover, caffeine can also cause dehydration by releasing salt and water from the body through frequent urination.

Caffeine is a type of pain-relieving drug; therefore, it is added to some painkillers to make the person feel less pain and more energy.

But the FDA advises limiting caffeine to 400mg.

In addition, caffeine can erode your enamel meaning your teeth will more likely get stained.

The bacteria that causes enamel eroding is encouraged by caffeine due to its acidic nature.

When the bacteria have stayed on your teeth, it makes them yellow, weak, and sensitive.

Caffeine can also worsen a dry mouth situation because caffeine lessens the saliva production in our mouth, which is the only thing needed during a dry mouth.

So if you want to avoid dry mouth situations, experts suggest stopping caffeine consumption.

Even though energy drinks don’t typically contain as much sugar as soda, their intense acidity damages your teeth.

According to dental professionals, the acidic nature of these drinks can be particularly harmful to tooth enamel, increasing the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and other problems.

Sugar

Image of sugar in spoon.
Sugar may lead to inflammation, tooth decay, and cavities harming our oral health

Sugar also makes your teeth yellow, which has become an obvious fact for most people because sugar has a history of a long chain of side effects.

Sugar is a carbohydrate meaning it can give you an instant boost of energy in significantly less time after consumption.

Therefore energy drinks add sugar to their beverages to make them more tasty and energetic for their consumers.

However, the story does not end here because sugar has a sweet taste, and we humans are somehow obsessed with sweet foods and beverages.

The more we eat sweet dishes, the more we desire. Sugar is not the only reason behind many other diseases; it can also make you addicted.

Sugar dependency can not be ignored anymore because very few people know about this, and it is increasing daily.

Sugar affects the same portions of our brain that any addictive substance affects, making the consumer more dependent on the product.

Sugar also makes your teeth yellow by making the bacteria stronger to stay on your tooth enamel and affect it badly and gradually with time.

Enamel is one of the toughest and most substantial parts of our body, and still, the acidic nature and sugar can affect it badly, so it is better to stop your consumption of sugar.

According to a study, around 80% of the world’s population is affected by Dental Caries, and the main reason behind this is the sugar in energy drinks and many other foods.

The WHO also suggested decreasing sugar consumption as low as possible to prevent Dental caries in people.

Moreover, sugar has a direct link with tooth decay and cavities.

For this purpose, the prohibition of sweet consumption and sweet food consumption is an extreme measure necessary to protect the dental health of children and teens.

Do Energy Drinks Make Your Teeth Yellow?

Dental Health specialists do not recommend energy drinks as they can erode your enamel due to their high sugar and caffeine content per serving.

Energy drinks are among the market’s most acidic beverages.

People who consume them may grind their teeth, turning them yellow, and, in extreme circumstances, lose all of their teeth due to their acid reflux.

Yellow teeth and enamel erosion is one of the most common side effects of energy drinks.

People even know that they still consume energy drinks daily, which can cause a considerable cost to health and can make their oral health vulnerable to many other diseases.

Energy drinks have twice as much acidity as soda and other carbonated beverages.

A typical can of energy drink contains 12 to 20 ounces of acid.

Augar, acids, and caffeine are also consumed by adults and teenagers at least once every day.

According to a survey, one-third of teens use energy drinks on a regular basis.

This is a considerable number, and teens don’t acknowledge the trouble energy drinks can get them into without realizing it.

I have added a video to tell you an in-depth analysis of energy drink’s effect on teeth:

How do energy drinks affect your teeth?

Protection of Teeth F Jirom Energy Drinks

Image of a woman with a toothache.
Overconsumption of energy drinks may lead to tooth sensitivity and toothache

Energy drinks affect our dental health in many ways.

Therefore it is necessary to use some precautionary measures before consuming energy drinks if you are concerned about your oral and dental health.

The best way to avoid enamel erosion and yellow teeth is to refrain from energy drinks if you already have teeth that are in a bad condition.

After that, contact a dental doctor to give you some tips and treatments for better teeth and enamel health.

Your mouth’s saliva has a pH of approximately 6.8 or 7, which is regarded as neutral.

The likelihood of losing tooth enamel increases with decreasing pH.

According to research, even a tiny amount of a highly acidic beverage can cause your saliva’s pH to drop.

The time it takes for the body to get the pH of saliva back to normal is about 30 minutes.

Your teeth are essentially soaked in an acidic environment for those 30 minutes.

Then these 30 minutes can give the time for bacteria to make holes in your enamel and make it hollow if not washed right away.

Here are some tips and steps to protect your teeth from energy drinks if you can’t decide to completely cut out energy drinks:

  • Limit the quantity and frequency of your consumption.
  • To avoid coming into direct touch with your teeth, use a straw.
  • After a meal, sip your energy beverage. Your mouth’s saliva will maintain the pH at its average level and mineralize your tooth enamel.
  • After consuming an energy drink, clean your mouth with water to help balance the pH levels. If you clean your teeth after that time has passed, the acid will get into your porous teeth.
  • Chew sugar-free gum to make your mouth produce more saliva.
  • Don’t wash your teeth with toothpaste right after an energy drink because it will worsen the acidic nature of teeth and speed up the process of enamel erosion.

Best Energy Drinks for the Protection of Teeth

Although all energy drinks contribute to enamel erosion, there are a few energy drinks that will affect your teeth less, and they can give you a boost of energy with fewer side effects.

However, the best remedy for this purpose is to switch to sugar-free energy drinks to avoid damage to your teeth.

So here is the good part! Sugar-free energy drinks are the best tip to protect your teeth from energy drinks.

Here are some sugar-free energy drinks suggestion for you to adapt and lower the risks of enamel erosion and yellow teeth

Energy DrinkCaffeineSugar
OxyShred113mg0
Glytch Energy175mg0
Energy drinks with zero sugar

Bottom Line

  • Energy drinks can make your teeth yellow and erode your enamel with their two essential ingredients, caffeine, and sugar.
  • Caffeine increases the acidity in our mouth and produces an acidic nature making the bacteria more active to attack our enamel and make a hole in it with time.
  • Sugar is even more harmful to the teeth’ enamel and overall oral health because it can cause tooth decay and make cavities by increasing the stability of bacteria.
  • The best and safe way to avoid tooth loss is to refrain from energy drinks; however, if the condition worsens, immediately contact your dental doctor to do some damage control.

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