are there any kinds of acid in pop that can damage your teeth?

Question

science fair project info,for''what kind of soda pop decays a tooth the fastest?''

Answer 1

several

Answer 2

What ever acid in the soda will not dammage your teeth. The sugar that is in the soda will make contact with your teeth after you take a gulp and a very small percentage of that sugar will remain in the gap between your teeth. The bacteria surounding your teeth will then feed on the sugar and releases acid as a bi-product. This acid will slowly corode away at your teeth and overtime can lead to tooth decay. That is why it is so important to brush and floss very regularly because it clean away these bacteria and the acid.

Answer 3

Sure. The bubbles in soda are called "carbonation," right? "Carbonated water" is a polite (or sneaky) way to say "carbonic acid," by the way. The carbonation is actually added as carbon dioxide gas which then reacts with the liquid to form carbonic acid. Here's an interesting site the explains it somewhat:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/wica/Hydrology/Cave_&_Karst/Making_Carbonic_Acid.htm

Besides the carbonic acid, the bacteria on your teeth ingest the sugars and other carbohydrates (flavoring in some sodas) and quickly convert them to various kinds of acids. This is the real cause of tooth decay - the combination of bacteria (which accumulates in "plaque") and the acids they produce when you eat or drink carbohydrates, especially simple carbs like sugars.

It takes 3 things to have cavities:
1. Teeth
2. Bacteria
3. Sugar

If you have bacteria present on your teeth (plaque) and eat or drink sugar (in food, juice or soda), the bacteria will change the sugar into acid and the acid makes cavities by disolving the enamel on your teeth. Once the bacteria get to the inner layer (dentin), they can start eating the protein content of the dentin and cavites can get pretty large pretty fast.

If you get rid of any one of the three things from the numbered list above, you will not have cavities. We don't want to prevent cavities by getting rid of teeth, so we try to get rid of bacteria in the mouth and sugar in the diet. Since we admit that we can't get rid of bacteria 100%, we just do the best we can and THEN we do the best we can to cut down on or eliminate sugar from the diet.

Answer 4

I know that citric acid, if it comes in contact to often and too long, will make the teeth look more transparent and lose its whiteness starting in the edges and working its way inward. Sometimes it makes it seem like there are gaps between the teeth when there aren't. I know the 7-up and Sprite types drinks are heavy on the citric acid.

Answer 5

Interesting, A&W Rootbeer only lists carbonated water, corn syrup, perservatives and flavorings, no acid.

Citric acid I would imagine would be huge. And certainly the sugar content doesn't help. I know caramel coloring will stain your teeth and make them look horrible.

And if Coke can clean 50 year old pennies to shiney new, the answerer above must just have good dental hygiene if he/she still does have all their teeth.

Answer 6

I'm not a scientist, but reading the label on one of my bottles of soda says it has citric acid in it. I think most sodas have that same type of acid in them. However, it is probably the combination of sugar (fructose) and acid that decays the teeth.

Answer 7

Carbonation of drinks makes for a dilute carbonic acid solution.
Manufacturers often add "food acids" to acidify it moreso and give it that sweet-and-sour taste we like so much.
Coomon added acids are phosphoric (in cola drinks) - pH about 2.3
Citric acid (in lemon or orange drinks) - their pH tends to be about 2.7
Diet drinks also have acid, just no sugar - their pH is about 3.0
OJ is about 3.6
Even sparkling mineral water or plain soda water is slightly acidic due to the normal carbonation - a pH of about 5.1
Remember that the pH scale is logarithmic.
If you want to test some local drinks, then your local pool shop or your high school class would have pH meters.

Answer 8

From my personal understanding, it's the Diet Sodas that create more all around health problem than the regular. The only thing I can suggest is for you to brush your teeth - and tongue - after drinking your pop.

Answer 9

I'm betting on Dr. Pepper or Coca Cola, coke takes acid off battery cables and Dr. pepper will eat the grease off your broiler pan.

Answer 10

Any yellow soft drinks, they have more acid in them then the regular

Answer 11

there's no way any kind of pop that damages your teeth. I have drank coke for my whole life, my teeth would be like dead by now.