Soda vs. sugary drinks

[catteethidk]

All the information I can find tells me not to drink soda with braces, or to drink it with a straw. Carbonated drinks as well. I hate fizzy stuff and never drink soda (iced tea like Nestea I drink really rarely) but I do LOVE sugary flavoured lattes. I'm... look I'm not going to give them up because I love them too much, and I do try to brush after as soon as I can, but can anyone advise me as to the wisdom of this? What's the difference between a soda and a sweet latte? You can't drink hot coffee with a straw!!

[dianaioanab]

Soda is the worst cause it contains both sugar, which some bacteria turn to acid, and acid. So it's all nice extra acidic, thus corrosive. Even diet soda still has a lot of acid so it's still pretty bad. Other sugary drinks that are bad are fresh citrus juices and even some teas, such as black tea. Now I am, like yourself, hooked on lattes and coffee. The good news is that lattes are okish from an acidic pov, especially since they have a lot of milk, just don't put tons of sugar in them. Actually if you can drink your coffee black (which i can't), there's some compound in it that fights plaque

[djspeece]

I drank coffee from a cup with abandon, as I did soda. The trick is to brush or at least swish and spit as soon as possible afterwards.

[catteethidk]

Not sure what "with abandon" means? In moderation? I drink it 2-4 times a week, varying...

[catteethidk]

The good news is that lattes are okish from an acidic pov, especially since they have a lot of milk, just don't put tons of sugar in them.

Well, I don't put sugar in the lattes, because they already come packed with sugar (flavoured ones like from Starbucks I mean). Sometimes I have cappuccinos and those I have plain? I also take my coffee with cream and just a drop of sugar - sometimes I leave the sugar out but I like it with.

[djspeece]

Not sure what "with abandon" means? In moderation? I drink it 2-4 times a week, varying...

It means I drink a lot of coffee and never thought twice about it. Sorry for the confusion.

[pteryxm]

Remember not to brush so soon after as acidity makes your enamel weak and brushing will result in brushing your enamel away - wait at least an hour before brushing and always rinse with water.