Fluoride: the Natural State of Water

Home , Diet Mountain Dew, Fresca, Mountain Dew, Sprite (drink), Surge (drink)

Acid + Sugar = Trouble Did you know? Fluoride: The Nutrition Facts Regular Nutrition Facts Serv. Size, 1 Can (regular) pop Serv. Size, 1 Can (diet) contains • Amount per Serving Amount per Serving Soft drink companies pay school districts both sugar large royalties in exchange for the right to Calories 140 and acid Calories 0 Total Fat 0grams that can Total Fat 0 grams Natural State Sodium 50 mg Sodium 40 mg market their product exclusively in the lead to Total Carb 39 grams Total Carb 0 grams schools, which in turn boosts pop sales Sugars 39 grams tooth Protein 0 grams Protein 0 grams decay. among kids. Although Carbonated Water, diet pop is Caramel Color, Aspartame, Carbonated Water, High Phosphoric Acid, of Water • sugar free, American consumption of soft drinks, Fructose Corn Syrup, Potassium Benzoate (to it still including carbonated beverages, fruit and/or Sucrose, Caramel protect taste) Natural Color, Phosphoric Acid, contains Flavors, Citric Acid, juice and sports drinks increased by 500 Natural Flavors, Caffeine harmful Caffeine percent in the past 50 years. acid

• Americans drank more than 53 gallons of Acid Amount* Sugar Amount** (low number = teaspoons soft drinks per person in 2000. This bad for teeth) per 12 ounces amount surpassed all other beverages. (1 can) One of every four beverages consumed Pure Water 7.00 0.0 today is a soft drink, which means other, Barq’s 4.61 10.7 more nutritious beverages are being Diet 7Up 3.67 0.0 displaced from the diet. Sprite 3.42 9.0 • Today, one fifth of all 1- to 2-year-old Diet Dr. Pepper 3.41 0.0 children drink soda pop and teens drink Diet Coke 3.39 0.0 twice as much pop as milk compared to Diet Mountain Dew 3.34 0.0 20 years ago when they drank twice as Mountain Dew 3.22 11.0 much milk as soda. Fresca 3.20 0.0 Orange Slice 3.12 11.9 • A bottle of pop in the ‘50s was 6.5 Diet Pepsi 3.05 0.0 ounces. Today, a 12-ounce can is Nestea 3.04 5.0 standard and a 20-ounce bottle is Surge 3.02 10.0 common. Larger container sizes mean Gatorade 2.95 3.3 more calories, more sugar and more acid Dr. Pepper 2.92 9.5 in a single serving. Squirt 2.85 9.5 • In regular pop, all the calories come from Hawaiian Fruit Punch 2.82 10.2 sugar. Soda pop is Americans’ single Minute Maid Orange Soda 2.80 11.2 biggest source of refined sugar. Coca-Cola 2.53 9.3 Pepsi 2.49 9.8 Stop the Pop! • In addition to cavities, heavy pop Battery Acid 1.00 (yikes) 0.0 consumption has been linked to diabetes, obesity, kidney stones, heart disease and * Laboratory tests, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, 2000. osteoporosis. ** USDA, 4.2 grams = 1 tsp.

how tooth decay Fluoride: how to reduce

starts … The Natural State tooth decay

and of Water • Drink fluoridated water. Arkansas is the how to stop it !! • Drink soda pop in moderation.

“ Natural State,” • • Sugar, and certainly the sugar in soft Don’t sip on a soft drink for extended periods drinks (pop, soda, “coke”), combines with and all water contains of time. Sipping exposes your teeth to bacteria in your mouth to form acid prolonged sugar and acid attacks.

• The acid attacks your teeth. Each acid some fluoride. • After drinking pop, rinse your mouth with attack lasts about 20 minutes and acid water to dilute the sugar that can cause attacks start over again with each sip. decay.

• Ongoing acid attacks weaken tooth enamel • Never drink pop or juice before going to by removing the minerals that make it hard. sleep without brushing your teeth with • Cavities begin when the tooth enamel is fluoride toothpaste first. The cavity-causing damaged. liquid pools in your mouth and coats your teeth and tongue with sugar and acid. • Fluoride, especially in fluoridated drinking water, replaces the minerals lost in acid • Read labels. Regular pop is high in sugar attacks, and repairs cavities before they and acid, and diet sodas contain acid too. destroy the tooth. Both sugar and acid are bad for your teeth. • Drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth surrounded by the healing properties of • Drink water instead of soft drinks. It has no fluoride to prevent acid attacks. sugar, no acid, no calories, contains fluoride and contributes to overall health. • Bottled water does not usually contain enough fluoride to prevent cavities. • Get regular dental checkups and cleanings to • Remember, diet or “sugar-free” soft drinks remove bacteria buildup. Flossing regularly still have enough acid that can harm your and using a fluoride toothpaste also help teeth. Although fruit drinks aren’t Fluoridation merely prevent tooth decay. carbonated like pop, they too have acid and sugar that can cause decay. adjusts the natural level Visit www.aroralhealth.com to learn more about preventing tooth decay. of fluoride in the water to Office of Oral Health 501-661-2595 prevent tooth decay!