Oral Health

Beverages & Oral Health

All foods and beverages play a role in impacting overall health and wellness. The beverage industry has a wide variety of beverage product choices that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. While some critics may claim beverages are a unique cause of dental caries and tooth erosion, in reality no single factor causes dental caries.

Causes of Dental Caries and Erosion

Oral health is determined by many different aspects and several factors contribute to the formation of dental cavities, including the types of food consumed, the length of time foods are retained in the mouth and the level of oral hygiene and access to professional dental care. Science tells us that individual susceptibility to both dental caries and erosion varies depending on a person’s behavior, lifestyle, diet and genetic make-up. In fact, there are multiple causes of dental caries and erosion and many protective factors that can help prevent or minimize them.

Dental Health Continues to Improve

The good news is the number of cavities among children has declined significantly in America for the past several decades due to fluoridated water and toothpaste, greater access to professional dental care, the use of sealants, better oral hygiene and other factors. We should all do our part to enhance oral health by brushing and flossing our teeth and making regular visits to the dentist, among a host of other activities.