What type of pop decays teeth the most? I'm wondering what actually does decay the teeth..?

Question

I'm thinking of a science fair project for. I am wondering what actually does decay the teeth? Carbonation? Sugar? Also what types of pop do decay teeth the most? (ex.root beer, pepsi etc.)

Also how would I prove it in an experiment?

Answer 1

The worse pop is Mountain Dew, followed by citrus drinks and cola.

Soft Drinks or soda pop can cause dental cavities and affect your general health.

Tooth Decay:

* Sugar combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid.
* Acid attacks the teeth. Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes. These acid attacks occur with each sip.
* Ongoing acid attacks weaken tooth enamel.
* Cavities begin when tooth enamel is damaged.
* Diet or "sugar free" soda pop also contain acid and can harm your teeth. Although fruit drinks are not carbonated, they also have acid and sugar that cause tooth decay.

Answer 2

Its not the pop that decays the teeth.. its the acid from the bacteria in your mouth that decays the teeth.. you eat anything that has carbs in it the bacteria will eat it and will release acid as a byproduct thus decaying you teeth... mountain dew is the worst pop that decays the teeth

Answer 3

It's not just sodas that cause tooth decay. Many parents put their infants and toddlers to bed with bottles full of formula or fruit juice and the children end up getting rotted teeth. It seems the cause of tooth decay is more from leaving sugars in the mouth without rinsing them than from drinking sugary sodas or fruit juices. I drink sodas and I don't hold the liquid in my mouth. I drink them pretty quickly and my teeth aren't rotting.

Answer 4

It is acid in the dark colas that cause decay. Phosphoric acid is the tang you taste in dark colas. The citric acid in colas is used as a preservative. they both cause problems. The acid softens the tooth allowing sugar and bacteria to penetrate the enamel.

See if you can find the concentrations of these acids in the different sodas. Then see if you can find a source of these acids. You can then use different solutions to show how time or concentrations affect teeth and bone.

Answer 5

It's not just acid, its everything you eat! When you eat, the food sticks to your teeth and becomes plaque. Did you know, that even if your teeth have no food or plaque on them, you still would need to brush your teeth. The little "sacks" that secrete your saliva also excrete a bacteria that aids the digestive process. This bacteria will create plaque on it's own. Sugars in drinks will also harm your teeth.