Some news you can use, parents, there is NO health benefit for your children in energy drinks: zero, nada! Without question they are marketed beautifully and enticingly with their flashy, neon, brightly colored cans lining the aisles of our supermarkets and convenience stores. They are sometimes even found in the health food section, giving the false impression of being a healthier alternative to soft drinks/sports drinks. Tweens and teens are drawn to them, so we parents get tired of arguing and often give in and buy them.
The Fact of the Matter
Energy drinks’ target consumer is anyone needing an energy boost, feeling fatigued or wanting to enhance a workout aimed at weight loss. Sound like familiar teenage goals? None of the brands’ actors/models appear to be less than 20 years old, and with good reason. The fine print on many energy drinks clearly states that this product is not recommended for children under the age of 18. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees saying energy drinks should be off limits to kids and adolescents.
The familiar energizing ingredient is caffeine, but there are also lesser-known stimulants, like plant extracts, contributing and amplifying the effect. Green tea extract and ginseng are stimulants often listed, and the frequent addition of guarana seeds/extract may contain four to six times the caffeine as a coffee bean. For comparison, while a cola soft drink has 45 mg of caffeine and a cup of coffee has 90 mg, an energy drink may have as much as 400-500 mg per can. Unfortunately, the FDA does not regulate the amount of caffeine in beverages, so the labels may downplay or not even list the actual milligrams of caffeine within the drinks.
What We are Seeing
From a dental perspective, in addition to stimulants’ unhealthy systemic effects such as anxiety, irritability, insomnia, stomach irritation, increased blood pressure and heart palpitations, we are also seeing negative results on their teeth. The shared damaging component in energy drinks, sports drinks, soft drinks and juices is acid. Citric Acid, carbonic acid and others are listed within the ingredients, all with the potentially destructive impact of breaking down tooth enamel toward creating cavities. For perspective, the Acid to Alkaline PH scale of 0-14 assigns battery acid a zero and bleach at 13. With water at the ideal neutral score of 7 and energy drinks at an acidic PH of 2.7, it becomes easy to see which is the healthier choice. High-sugar content is also common and, if not, a chemical sugar substitute is used to enhance the taste.
Better Sources of Energy
There is no doubt that our tweens and teens need energy for schoolwork and their outside activities, including sports, band/orchestra or dance. They need energy to navigate their social lives in a positive, thoughtful way. A few well-known but key ways to help them naturally have adequate energy include:
- A restful night’s sleep without screen time right before “lights out”
- Daily exercise – move, move, move!
- Balanced healthy meals with plenty of fruits, vegetables and protein
- A daily multivitamin
- Drinking plenty of plain water
And About those Ice Cubes
Ice chewing seems to be a growing popular habit, and unfortunately one we are seeing frequently damage teeth. There is actually a syndrome called Pagophagia where a person craves ice and is driven to eat it often. Doctors have found that an iron deficiency may actually be the cause, and treatment can be helpful.
A vast majority of the time people simply finish their drink and chew on the remaining ice, which is not a health issue. However, it is a serious tooth issue. In most cases chewing on a piece of ice is like biting down on a rock, and the tooth can crack, split or have pieces break off. This habit can create a need for serious dental treatment like extractions, crowns or implants (for permanent teeth) to repair the broken tooth. If your child has had sealants applied to their molars, ice crunching can chip away the sealants, removing the barrier for protection from cavities and requiring replacement.
After doing some research and ice sampling at fast food restaurants and a popular roadside gas station/snack store, it seems that the majority serve “nugget” ice. Although it involves smaller pieces than the typical refrigerator produces, it is very solid and hard. If you hear a crunch when you bite it, then it is too hard for your teeth. The gold standard for soft ice is Sonic, where its higher water content makes it wet, therefore gentle on the teeth. A snow cone or shaved ice is also a fun, soft ice option. Even “everyone’s favorite coffee shop” mentioned their goal to have machines in their stores during 2024 that will make Sonic-style soft ice. We wish everyone would jump on that bandwagon!
Contact our office today!
At myKIDSdds we are on the lookout for trends that impact your children’s health. We want to be your partner in helping navigate through information to best guide you and your children toward healthy choices. It is an honor to partner with you in caring for your child, as well as promoting overall health and wellness through education. Contact our office today to schedule a regular cleaning and exam. We can’t wait for you to experience the myKIDSdds difference!
Healthy Smile, Healthy Child
Of course, a beautiful smile begins with a healthy smile. Our team will help your child achieve good oral hygiene through regular cleanings and one on one education. Your little one will receive an oral hygiene score and coaching each time they visit us for a cleaning, cultivating a sense of responsibility and accomplishment while also building their confidence each time they improve their score. Don’t forget, a clean mouth promotes total body health and wellness too! This is why our doctors will screen for airway issues, talk about nutrition, eating habits, and much more. We want our patients to be empowered in the knowledge we provide to them on the health of their facial complex and how it relates to their overall systemic health. We are excited to partner with you throughout your child’s pediatric dental journey into orthodontics, and beyond!
