Hard Facts About Soft Drinks

  • A bottle of soda pop in the 50's was 6.5 ounces. Today, a 12-ounce can is standard and a 20-ounce bottle is common.
  • Larger container sizes mean more calories, more sugar and more acid in a single serving. A 64-ounce "Big Cup" has more than five cans of soda pop in a single serving!
  • There is no nutritional value in soft drinks. In regular soda pop all of the calories come from sugar.
  • In addition to cavities, heavy soda pop consumption has been linked to diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
  • One-fifth of all one- and two-year-old children drink soda pop.
  • Today, teens drink three times more soda pop than 20 years ago, often replacing milk.
  • Soft drink companies pay high schools and middle schools big bucks to offer their products.
  • Sealants only protect tooth chewing surfaces. Soda pop decay tends to occur where sealants can't reach.

Research Behind the Facts

Research spearheaded by Dr. Pam Erickson, a pediatric dentist in private practice in Minnesota, is one of the cornerstones of the Minnesota Dental Association's work on this oral health issue.

Together with fellow dentists Deanna Alevizos and Darcy Rindelaub, Dr. Erickson authored an article called "Soft Drinks: Hard on Teeth," which appeared in the March-April 2001 edition of the Association's journal.

As a researcher, pediatric dentist and mother of three, Dr. Erickson's perspectives on this issue are hard hitting for both the scientific community, as well as the general public.

Hear What Dentists Have to Say

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