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      Let's talk about Mountain Dew

      Cassie Minor
      offline

      Posted by Cassie Minor

      on Jul 19, 2009

      Don't dew it! 

       

       

      Mountain Dew habit – drinking Mountain Dew daily for any length of time especially throughout the day.  However, any more frequently that 2-3 times a week is a habit.

       

      You may ask yourself, why I would single out one soft drink.  The truth is regular consumption of any soda will soften and break down your teeth.  However, I can look inside the mouth of a person I do not know that has a Mountain Dew habit and tell them about their habit. Why? Because the appearance of the teeth in the mouth of a Mountain Dew addict is very similar to that of a methamphetamine user.  It starts with lighter areas at the gum line that get lighter until they become opaque.  Then they will, very easily, chip.  The portion of the tooth in that area will develop a darker appearance from yellow brown to finally black.  The last part of this process is quick.  This is why you may see people with all black teeth.  Cavities in this area have more chance of returning than other places because of it’s location near the gums.

      In the free clinics, in which I volunteer, we often do full mouth extractions (all teeth).  A Mountain Dew habit is frequently behind the damage. Is it worth it???

      How to break a Mountain Dew habit!

      1.                  Don’t stop cold turkey.  The ugly detoxicating side effects are uncomfortable to say the least.

      2.                  Wean yourself by cutting down how many you drink in half.  Drink water (or anything except Mountain Dew) at other times.

      3.                  On the half you are still drinking, mix ½ decaffeinated Mountain Dew to reduce the caffeine you are drinking.

      4.                  Continue mixing more decaf Mountain Dew until you are no longer drinking caffeine. Now you can drop the Dew.

      5.                  Drink green tea.  It’s incredibly healthy and you can get that caffeine jump if you need it.

      6.                  Swish small amount (teaspoon) of baking soda to balance acidity, but do not use it to brush.

      You MUST start rebuilding your teeth quickly. You will need the assistance of a dental professional.

      How to take care of your teeth while you are breaking the habit?

      1.                  Get prescription fluoride gel or rinse from your dental healthcare provider, if possible.  Use daily as prescribed.

      2.                  Ask for treatments your dental healthcare provider can do to strengthen your teeth.  There are pastes available in office that will help your teeth get stronger.

      3.                  Use fluoride toothpaste daily.

      4.                  Chew gum with Xylitol as the first ingredient.

      Share:
      More about: dentistry, tooth pain, cavities, tooth help, xylitol, mountain dew, soda, teeth pain, mountain dew habit, fluoride, toth care

        Comments... (9)

        Add your comment... this is a public space!
        Starshine
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        9. Starshine posted on Nov 17, 2010
         in response to Dew's Girl...   

        Hello

        I know of a family that moved up there in Sonoma County.

        See if you can find a free dental clinic here

        http://www.freemedicalcamps.com/vcity.php?stateid=CA

        good luck

        Starshine

        Cassie Minor
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        8. Cassie Minor posted on Sep 26, 2010
         in response to VolsVW...   I will try to explain this as best as I can and give you some resources to help you better understand.

        There are bacteria in many people's mouths that cause cavities. These bacteria enjoy the same meals as you, the same drinks as you. Sugars in soft drinks are quite energizing to the bacteria. They begin to have families and go potty. When they go potty, you get a cavity. Drinking sodas does not cause cavities alone. The worst cases are those in which the person sips on soft drinks daily, thereby feeding these bacteria all day. Give me a person that drinks soft drinks regularly and nine that do not and I will identify the one that does. I am sorry you feel this way since it is such a huge concern. As a matter of fact, ABC did a special on people in Appalacia drinking sodas. You can use PubMed to search research articles that show the damage caused by soft drinks.

        I challenge you to ask your dentist about soft drinks on your next visit. The fact that it hasn't come up in your appointment makes no difference. If I were to explain all of the health issues and hazards to a patient in an appointment, I would only see one patient per day.

        Cassie

        One other thing: Do you think I just hate the soda companies? The truth is that I love people and I hate to see them unaware of damage they cause themselves with soft drinks. Also, educating the public pays me nothing.
        Anora Eldorath
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        7. Anora Eldorath posted on Aug 6, 2010

        Cassie-

         Thanks for the information, but I will advise that people not use fluoride.

        Namaste-Anora

        Health Care Officials call for an end to water fluoridation

        The Aburdities of fluoridation

         

         

         

        VolsVW
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        6. VolsVW posted on Jul 29, 2010

        This is difficult to swallow (no pun intended)!  Sorry but there are so many people drinking soda that we would see MANY people with black teeth.  Further, there wouldn't be just one dentist warning about it.  My dentist who I've been going to for 15 years and hasn't yet stopped lecturing me about tooth health and brushing/flossing has NEVER ONCE mentioned mountain dew or any soft drink and damage to teeth, let alone black teeth.  Sorry, can't buy this.  Please cite a source or point the reader to some sort of supporting evidence for "soda damages teeth and ultimately causes them to fall out".

        Cassie Minor
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        5. Cassie Minor posted on Mar 4, 2010
         in response to the_broken_girl...   I am glad you know. I hope you share. It is not worth the outcome to drink it habitually.Thanks for your post.    ~Cassie
        the_broken_girl
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        4. the_broken_girl posted on Feb 16, 2010

        Wow. I wasnt aware mt dew was thhhhaaaatttt bad. I'll deffianately think twice about what I am drinking-- Thanks for the info!!

        shadyhisto
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        3. shadyhisto posted on Feb 16, 2010

        mt dew has afforded me a new set of dentures at the ripe ol age of 32 and trust me, the dental community is not feeling very sympathetic :(((((( i cant even wear the fake teeth

        Dew's Girl
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        2. Dew's Girl posted on Dec 8, 2009

        Cassie, I am in the real estate industry and having a hard time here in N. CA, Sonoma Co. and wondering if you know of any low/no cost help for dental services in this area?

         Thanks again for the info on Mtn. Dew.

        mamashe/sheshe
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        1. mamashe/sheshe posted on Jul 19, 2009

        Reply to Cassie Minor:--I watched a tv special about a group of people that live in the appalachian area, I forgot the name of the town, Almost the entire community had teeth that were rotted down to the gums because of Mountain Dew. The strange part of that story was that all these people were or are dirt poor and for some reason the poorer the community the more mountain dew and the worse teeth. I don't quite get the correlation between poverty and Mt Dew, why not diet coke or pepsi or any other soda, why just Mt Dew? Your info is invaluable to us here on aidpage though, we have so many people come through here with few if any teeth and suffering from constant mouth pain and any dental hygiene info is fabulous. Thankyou for posting all these resources. sheshe030

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