hygiene - the international C.E. magazine of dental hygiene

24 I I trends_ patient education _It was believed in the early 17th century that mineral water found in natural springs had curative powers and that drinking it would lead to goodhealth.Earlyscientistssoondiscoveredthatthe bubbles or carbon dioxide in this healing water was the purported cure. The soft-drink manufacturers soon began to manufacture beverages called soda, pop or coke1 with flavors and carbonation in the same assump- tion that by drinking this bubbly natural water or carbonated beverage, the person would enjoy great health. Because drinking either natural or artificial water was considered a healthy practice, where did we go wrong? Let’s examine a few questions regarding carbon- atedbeveragesandtheaciderosiondilemmathatwe see today in our dental practices. Howdidcarbonatedbeveragesgofromahealthy drink to an unhealthy drink? Is it possible that our patients can be suffering from soda sensitivity be- cause of acid erosion caused by the ingredients in thesebeverages? Thismightbeaquestionweneedtoaskduringthe assessmentphaseofourpatients’initialdentalvisits. With the staggering statistics and data compiled in thelast10yearsregardingourconsumptionofsoda, the assessment of our patients for the drinks they consume should perhaps be a standard question on the dental patient assessment form. The commercial sale of soft drinks has increased by 56 percent over the last 10 years and is estimated tokeeprisingatabout2to3percentayear.2 Accord- ingtocurrentresearch,acidicbeveragesarethought to increase the potential for dental erosion, which is defined as the chemical removal of mineral from the tooth structure. Erosion is typically progressive andresultsinthewearingawayoftheexposedtooth surface.3 The question then remains, should we be as- sessing our patients for soda sensitivity and soda consumptionduringtheirinitialdentalvisit?Isitpos- sible that our patients can be suffering from enamel erosion leading to dentinal or enamel sensitivity? With different names for carbonated beverages, aretheingredientsthesame? Historically, the word “soda” refers to the bever- ages produced by dissolving carbon dioxide gas in plain water and has been around since the 18th century. The term “pop” was introduced in 1812 as manufactures added nectar to soda water. In 1890, entrepreneurs developed alternative drinks based on cola and sarsaparilla extracts with carbonation. Becausethesedrinkswerebelievedtohavemedicinal properties, “soft drinks” exploded onto the market with many different flavors, including lime, lemon, orange and many variations.4 Today we know these beverages with a wide vari- etyofnames,allofwhichareconsideredcarbonated beverages. The ingredients in these beverages in- hygiene 1_2012 Soda, sensitivity and a strategy Author_Doreen B. Johnson, RDH, MEd ‘The question then remains, should we be assessing our patients for soda sensitivity and soda consumption during their initial dental visit?’