As much as sports drinks are harmful to your teeth, researchers found that exposure to energy drinks such as Rockstar, Monster®, and Red Bull® resulted in twice as much enamel loss as exposure to sports drinks such as Powerade®, Gatorade®, and Propel® (3.1% to 1.5%). That being said, sports drinks are often filled with electrolytes that are beneficial during and after a sports game or workout. And even though they may not be as harmful as sugar-loaded energy and fruit drinks, it’s important to be responsible and make sure your child understands how to protect their teeth after drinking a sports drink. Here are just a few tips that can help prevent enamel damage during sports drink consumption.

Faster is Better

It may sound surprising, but it’s true: experts say it’s better to drink a sports drink all at once than to take small sips throughout the day. That being said, it’s ideal to invest in smaller sports drink bottles that your child can finish in one sitting, like during halftime of a big sports game. Another way to encourage faster consumption is to keep an eye on the time your child starts drinking the sports drink, and to give them a time limit to finish it, like 20 minutes.

Alternate With Water

It should come as no surprise, on the other hand, that your child should be drinking water frequently throughout a game or workout as well. Kids dentists in Dulles recommend alternating sips of water and sports drink, or to simply drink water after finishing the drink completely to rinse out the mouth. The key is to avoid the aftermath of drinking a sports drink without rinsing the mouth, as this is the time when enamel damage occurs the fastest. It’s also best to drink cold sports drinks, which slow the enamel erosion process.

Buy the Right Sports Drinks

It’s true that traditional sports drinks can cause enamel damage, but there are a wide variety of options available. In fact, many dentists recommend low-sugar sports drinks that are intended to provide the same electrolyte boost without the potential dental damage.

Ultimately, sports drinks can be beneficial, but it’s important to consume them with dental health in mind. For more information about kids dentists, contact Smilez Pediatric Dental Group.