Diet Soda Has Similar Effects on Teeth as Meth, Cocaine

Though diet soda is certainly a popular concoction among people across the world, especially if they're hoping to cut back on calories but still enjoy the taste of a caffeinated beverage, health professionals are shaking their heads at just how bad this drink can be for you.

In a new study, researchers found that consuming too much diet soda could harm teeth as much as those on drug binges. That's right. Meth or crack cocaine addicts may have teeth similar to those addicted to their diet coke.

This report studied a woman's teeth and drinking habits and discovered that diet soda caused similar teeth decay and erosions seen in meth and crack cocaine users.  

According to the study of an anonymous female participant who was in her 30s, she began drinking diet soda to curb weight gain. However, she developed an unhealthy habit of drinking two hliters of the stuff per day for three to five years. Studies of her teeth showed that they had eroded beyond measure. In fact, she looked like a 29-year-old meth addict and a 51-year-old longtime crack addict! 

The 29-year-old teeth sample was from a man who used meth for three years and the other sample was from a man who used crack cocaine for 18 years. The comparison was made from images of teeth from these different kinds of people.

"You look at it side-to-side with 'meth mouth' or 'coke mouth,' it is startling to see the intensity and extent of damage more or less the same," Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny said, according to HealthDay. Bassiouny is a professor of restorative dentistry from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, PA.

According to HealthDay, Bassiouny wrote that the products, which are highly acidic, had discolored, softened and eroded the teeth. 

"None of the teeth affected by erosion were salvageable," Bassiouny said, describing the female, who now has dentures. 

According to the American Beverage Association, high levels of soda intake and poor dental hygiene can cause these problems. 

"The body of available science does not support that beverages are a unique factor in causing tooth decay or erosion," the association pointed out. "However, we do know that brushing and flossing our teeth, along with making regular visits o the dentist, play a very important role in preventing them."

And regardless of dental hygiene, Bassiouny said he believes that not drinking diet soda is the best alternative to preventing future problems. The report was published in the journal, General Dentistry.