Too Much Energy Drinks Causes Tooth Erosion

Guess what I'm drinking in my 2 water bottles in 2001?

My patient who is a dentist tells me he is seeing a lot of younger patients having erosion in their teeth.  The features of their particular erosion is non-bacterial acid induced loss of dental hard tissue. A notable contribution is due to increased consumption of acidic drinks, especially energy drinks. 

Fortunately, I never had any Red Bull or Monster in my water bottles when I was still training seriously or racing.

Like I wrote previously, energy drinks are thought to be beneficial for performance. My platoon mates in the army when we were doing national service, would frequently load up with energy drinks such as Red Bull. There was no Monster drink then. They would consume it especially in the morning before physical training and Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) training sessions. Those who were less fit tended to count on those energy drinks. One of them commented that without Red Bull he would definitely fail his fitness tests.

Some of them would also mix Red Bull with alcohol when they book out on Fridays so they can party the night away.

This was similar when I was in university. Some of my classmates did the same when cramming for an exam or writing a paper.

Energy drinks from the study

A paper published last year (Martinez et al, 2024) was investigating the pH of energy (pictured above) and pre workout/ sports drinks (below) and the consumption frequency and habits among amateur athletes. Their study analyzed the pH of 67 commercially available energy drinks and pre workout/ sports drinks. There were 43 energy drinks and 24 pre workout/ sports drinks.

Pre workout/ sports drinks

The authors also did a survey among 113 amateur athletes who completed an anonymous questionnaire to find out about the use of different beverages during various sports activities. The participants participated in strength training, endurance sports and some of them participated in both. They reported consuming energy and/ or pre workout/ sports drinks before, during or after workout.

Ready for the results? The average pH for the beverages studied was 3.3. The pH level at which enamel erosion begins is approximately 5.5, which is known as the critical pH. When the pH in our mouths drop below this level, the enamel starts to dissolve, leading to tooth decay.

51 percent of the participants surveyed said, they consumed at least one of the beverages studied. Most participants aged ≤ 29 consumed them 3-5 times each week while the older participants consumed them 1-2 times per week.

Shocked? The study showed that ALL the  energy drinks and the majority of pre workout beverages evaluated have erosive pH levels that can damage tooth enamel. Please remember this when using energy drinks or pre workout/ sports drinks. 

I always carry water with me during my bike rides instead of energy or sports drinks. Drinking plain water after your sports drinks is a good way to mitigate the erosive nature of the energy drinks. You may also want to brush your teeth when you get home.

Reference

Marthiez Lm, Lietz, LL, Tarin CC et al (2024). Analysis Of The pH Levels In Energy And Pre-Workout Beverages And Frequency Of Consumption: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMC Oral Health. 24,1082. DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04843-0.