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Sports and Energy Drinks: Are they bad for my teeth?

Anyone who has watched a major sporting event on TV has seen a stream of commercials advocating the use of a sports drink to enhance or "fuel" their workout.  The perception is often even conveyed that the energy drink is a necessary part of the workout and that the body would be depleted without it.  Really? Over the years I have noticed how the regular consumption of sports and energy drinks have had a negative impact on the teeth.  In patients with the habit, I generally notice that the teeth turn glossy smooth and have dips in the front aspect of the tooth and tooth structure loss on the backs of the teeth on the upper jaw. The enamel actually looks worse, cosmetically, as well as it loses some of it's translucency. Notice, I did not specify that cavities were present.  They aren't always there.  The teeth are given one acid wash at a time and lose their sharpness and cutting ability, sometimes with cavities and sometimes without. Did you know that the pH of R

I love baby teeth

It is always exciting for me to see a baby's first tooth.  There is just something so cute and special about their little smile when those first teeth come in.  And before too long they are all grown up and those little teeth are gone! Awww :( The best time to have baby's first professional dental check-up is typically 6 months after the first tooth comes in.  Since the first tooth comes in around 6-10 months in age, this puts the kids at a little over a year old when they have their first visit.  Their visit is a happy time when we look and see how things are progressing. We evaluate the developing jaw, gums and teeth and look for any potential problems.  These visits are invaluable when there is something discovered that could be benefited by early intervention. Cleanings are typically done beginning at the age of 3. We have seen many conditions in children where early discovery was paramount, i.e. tongue-ties, baby-bottle tooth decay, early childhood cavities, mouths bein