Diet Coke is not as Bad as Meth Crack but Just as Acidic as Other Drinks
That Diet Coke was just as bad as taking meth was all based on an interesting article in the journal General Dentistry, in which Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny, a professor in the department of dentistry at Temple University, wrote about three people with severe tooth decay, one of whom drank a lot of diet soda. Specifically she drank two liters every day, and did not seek any dental health services for more than two decades.
Another person in the article used methamphetamines, and another used crack. They were all described as having comparably advanced tooth decay. According to the American Beverage Association, to single out diet soda consumption as the unique factor in tooth decay and erosion and to compare it to an illegal drug is irresponsible. Soda is acidic, and there’s value in knowing that diet soda can be bad for teeth despite its lack of sugar.
Researchers at the University of Iowa studied the acidities of certain drinks, and how acidity correlated with tooth erosion. They soaked molars in various beverages for 25 hours, and then measured the changes. Gatorade was the worst, followed by Red Bull, Coke, Diet Coke and apple juice. All of those drinks are acidic. In truth, it’s not uncommon for people addicted to meth to have unsettling dentition, known as “meth or crack mouth.” That can be partly because of the acidity of the drug. Ingredients used in preparing methamphetamine can include extremely corrosive materials such as battery acid, lantern fuel, antifreeze, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, and lye.
How much soda is too much? If it’s your primary drink, and you’re drinking more soda than water as part of your diet, then you’ll also have problems with weight gain and weight loss. The University of Iowa researchers advise to drink more water. Also, practices such as ‘swishing’ and ‘holding’ beverages in the mouth prolong acid-tooth contact time and could increase erosion risk. Most certainly you should not “hold” soda in your mouth for 25 hours.