National Children's Dental Health month

Capt. Wah-Yung Tsang, 51st Dental Squadron preventive dentistry officer-in-charge, observes as children from the elementary school demonstrate how they brush their teeth, Feb. 9, 2012. Tsang and other members from the 51st Dental Squadron are presenting oral health briefings and distributing oral hygiene goody bags throughout the month of February, which is designated as National Children’s Dental Health Month. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Adam Grant)

National Children's Dental Health month

Tech Sgt. Francisco Maldonado, 51st Dental Squadron dental lab technician, hands a tooth brush to a child during oral hygiene demonstrations on Feb. 9, 2012. The month of February is designated as National Children’s Dental Health Month and through our the month members of the 51st Dental Squadron will present oral hygiene briefings as well as distribute oral hygiene goody bags. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Adam Grant)

Sports Drinks, Tooth Decay

Published Feb. 12, 2012
By Capt. Wah-Yung Tsang
51st Dental Squadron

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Have you ever wondered how beneficial sports drinks are? Sports drinks have high sugar content and acid levels that contribute to tooth decay. In the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Dr. Alex Milosevic of the University of Liverpool in England reported the case of a 23-year-old cross-country and marathon runner whose upper teeth had eroded from drinking sports drinks regularly for the past year.

Recommendations are to skip all those energy drinks and go for diluted fruit juice instead. It costs less and offers the same benefits. For those who exercise and are concerned about fluid replacement, water is still your best choice. As Kurt Butler said in A Consumers' Guide to Alternative Medicine: "There is no reason to pay inflated prices for performance drinks. For those who prefer these drinks, there is no harm in using them, and they do efficiently replenish body fluids after a marathon or near-marathon. But they provide no competitive edge over those drinking less costly fluids."

Read labels carefully. Just know that one teaspoon of sugar is equal to about 4.2 grams in weight. If your bottle of sports drink says 44 grams of sugar, you would divide 44 by 4.2, which is equal to 10 teaspoons of sugar. The World Health Organization recommends limiting sugar intake to 45 grams, which is approximately 11 teaspoons a day. Getting more will slow absorption and may cause stomach cramps. Also, when drinking sports drinks, don't sip or swish. The longer they stay in your mouth, the more damage they can do to your teeth.

For more information or questions, contact the 51st Dental Squadron at 784-2108.