Soda Consumpion in America

Here  are the frightening facts about soda consumption:

In 1940, Americans consumed 60 12oz sodas per person per year.  In 2005, Americans consumed 576 12 oz. sodas per person per year, almost 10 times as much.   The average 12-19 year old drinks  838 12 oz.  sodas per year.

The Effects of Soda on Teeth

Nice teeth.  This 19 year old sat at his computer, played video games all day, and drank 86 oz of soda a day.  Having been a soda-popaholic myself in my youth with a mouthful of fillings and crowns to show for it, I know how addictive they are. Dental school saved my teeth because I saw firsthand the damaging effects of soda.  I remember as a dental student research professors telling us that fillings  were going to be obsolete because the recent advances in dental science and fluoride were going to prevent decay from developing. What they didn’t predict was the dramatic increase in soda consumption. Today, even with the continued advancement of oral science and dental technology and materials, I see more extensive and deeper decay than ever before. It is  no wonder we  have an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. How much soda do you or your children drink?  This the most important question I ask each patient to help me develop an idea of their oral health and risk of devoloping cavities. At times I feel like a broken record trying to get through to people.  Short of going to dental school do you have any ideas on how to help people realize the damage being done?