According to a recent poll by Gallup, nearly two-thirds of Americans have decided to try to avoid soda in 2014. With about half of people trying to avoid sugar, this may mean that Americans may be looking at even better oral health in the future.

Avoiding Soda

The survey asked people about certain foods and whether they actively included them in their diet, avoided them, or didn’t think about it. In 2014, 63% of Americans said they were avoiding soda, a 20% increase from the previous survey in 2004, when 51% of Americans were avoiding soda, and a 50% increase from 2002, when only 41% of Americans were avoiding soda (and 36% were actively including it.) This is good because soda is very damaging to teeth because of its acid and sugar content (though it’s possible to reduce damage to teeth from soda.
But we shouldn’t get too excited about these poll results, because a 2012 Gallup poll shows that 48% of Americans still drink soda, with 7% drinking four or more glasses a day.

Eternal Sugar

Although 52% of Americans are avoiding sugar in their diet, according to Gallup, there hasn’t been as much of an increase in avoidance since 2002, when 43% of Americans avoided sugar. In fact from 2006 to 2014, the proportion of people actively including sugar in their diet rose from 22% to 27%.

Many People Including Fruits and Vegetables

The study also highlights the fact that nearly all people try to include fruits and vegetables in their diets. Of respondents, 93% said they were trying to include vegetables and 92% said they were trying to include fruits.

This is good from a nutrition standpoint, but not always good from the standpoint of oral health. Many vegetables and especially fruits can be hard on your teeth because of high acidity and high sugar content. This can lead to tooth erosion and to the development of plaque. It’s important that people be aware of how these foods can impact their teeth.
Overall, though, avoiding soda and sugar can increase your odds of a clean checkup, and reduce your odds that you’ll need tooth-colored fillings.

If you’re looking for a Philadelphia dentist, please call (610) 272-0828 for an appointment at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell.