Few people would point the finger at sports drinks for causing dental decay, but according to a dental school professor, they are in amongst a line-up of culprits such as lemonade, citrus drinks, iced tea and Cola, especially if they are citrus flavoured. While other studies show no relation between sports drinks and dental decay, a lot depends on how the drink is taken.

When playing a sport, people often take sips of their sports drinks at intervals, meaning that the contents are constantly attacking tooth enamel over a long period of time. It is better for the teeth to drink a larger amount at once, and then rinse the mouth with plain water to reduce the eroding action on your tooth enamel.

Better still, drink with a straw, which takes the fluid to the back of the mouth where it is quickly swallowed, rather than constantly being washed over and through the teeth. While many Cola drinks contain acid that is bad for the teeth, energy and sports drinks also contain other types of organic acids that have a very quick reaction on the teeth. For this reason they were classed as worse than Cola for teeth, coming second to lemonade. Get information on dental health and dentist Melbourne at D-spa (http://www.d-spa.com.au).