All that prosecco is probably destroying your teeth
Shocking pictures reveal the devastating effect prosecco can have on your teeth.
Everyone’s favorite fizz turns teeth into a “chalk like powder” according to an alarming new study.
Dental scientists from the Oral Health Foundation left healthy human molars and incisors in the Italian sparkling wine for 14 days.
Prosecco is known for having a triple threat to your pearly whites for acidic bubbles, alcohol and a high sugar content.
And as we enter the party season more and more people will be knocking back the fizz.
But the study might make drinkers think again after the tooth was completely destroyed after being immersed in prosecco for a fortnight.
Dr. Ben Atkins told the Daily Mail: “If I were to pick the tooth up, it would likely turn to a chalk-like powder in my hand.”
“This could be extremely painful, leading to a need for extensive restoration or extraction.”
“Prosecco’s high sugar [and acid] content hits drinkers with a double whammy of erosion and decay. At Christmas, if we are sipping a drink throughout the day, our teeth are under constant attack.”
Cola was also tested in the study and was shown to have an “extreme” and “shocking” effect on teeth.
Worries over the soft beverage lead to it being banned from school vending machines and cafeterias in a bid to keep kids’ teeth healthy.
Atkins said: “Apart from the extensive staining, turning the tooth brown after only two days, it has also completely cracked in half owing to the huge extent of demineralization which has made it weak.
“The effects on young teeth can very quickly become extreme, devastating future oral health. With 12 spoons of sugar in a typical can of a cola-like drink, the decay potential is almost off the scale.”
Back in August the worries of the “prosecco smile” were revealed by a top London dentist.
Dr. Mervyn Druian said: “It is acidic and it has sugar in it so, while a few glasses are fine, if you drink too much of it you are going to have a problem. The signs of prosecco smile are where the teeth come out of the gum.”
“It starts with a white line just below the gum, which if you probe it is a little bit soft and that is the beginning of tooth decay which can lead to fillings and dental work.”