pH Levels of Common Drinks
It’s no secret that kids LOVE sugary drinks like pop, lemonade, and gatorade. It’s important to know what the pH levels are of the common drinks that your kids might be digesting on a daily basis. The pH scale measures the acidity or basicity of a food or drink based on a number 0-17, with 7 being completely neutral. Anything with a number under 7 is more acidic and anything with a number higher than 7 is more basic.
For each number that is below the next (4 below 5), the acidity or basicity increase by 10 times. Therefore, a substance with with a pH of 4 is 10x more acidic than that with a pH value of 5. Acidic drinks are bad for anybody’s teeth, especially for undeveloped children’s teeth. We would like to show you some of the acidity levels of drinks that you and your child might be consuming.
As a reference to how acidity hurts your teeth:
Dentine dissolves at 6.50
Enamel dissolves at 5.50
Sodas and Soft Drinks:
- A&W Root Beer: 4.75
- Mountain Dew: 3.33
- 7UP: 3.20
- Dr. Pepper: 2.89
- Pepsi: 2.53
- Coca-Cola: 2.52
Juices:
- Vitamin D Milk: 6.90
- Yoo-hoo Chocolate Milk: 6.01
- Tropicana Apple Juice: 4.05
- Minute Maid Orange Juice: 3.70
- Welch’s Concord Grape: 3.24
Tea:
- Nestea Sweetened Iced Tea: 4.50
- Diet Lipton Citrus Green Tea: 3.22
- Lemon Brisk: 2.86
Sports & Energy Drinks:
- Red Bull: 3.37
- Gatorade Fruit Punch: 3.27
- Propel Mango: 3.23
- Powerade Red: 2.77
As you can see, a lot of what both parents and kids are drinking are extremely acidic. The high amounts of sugar will ultimately break down your child’s teeth if they are not properly cared for. If your child is due for a dental cleaning or in need of a sealant, we are more than happy to help! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about what we can assist you with at Pediatric Dentistry, contact us today!