Why Sodas Like Mountain Dew Are Worse for Teeth Than Colas
It’s no secret that baking soda is bad for your teeth, but some are much worse than others. It turns out that citrus-flavored sodas like Mountain Dew can ruin your teeth more than most colas.
In this video from YouTuber Tom Scott, young scientist Chase of ScienceC explains the main differences between Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola using a classic science fair experiment. Chase drops several teeth – his sister’s teeth – into a bottle of Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola for 19 days, then measures the difference in their weights to see how much erosion was.
Surprisingly, a Mountain Dew tooth loses twice as much mass as a Coca-Cola tooth, despite the fact that the pH of Coca-Cola makes it three times more acidic. Why? Because Mountain Dew has a higher “titratable acidity,” which means it has more acid and therefore takes longer for the saliva in the mouth to dilute. On top of that, the acid in Mountain Dew that gives it its citrus flavor is also bad for your teeth. Mountain Dew has added citric acid, which is stronger on enamel than the phosphoric acid found in most cola drinks. So, if you crave the sparkling tingling sensation of a soft drink, perhaps try cola instead of citrus sodas. Or better yet, do your teeth a big favor and get some soda .