Straws May Cut Cavities

But Don't Put Straw Against Teeth, Say Dental Experts

(WebMD)  Using a straw when you drink soda may help avoid cavities and tooth decay, but the straw needs to be in the right place, say Temple University professors.

The straw shouldn't rest against your teeth, say Mohammed Bassiouny, DMD, PhD, MSc, and colleagues.

"Your best option is to sip soft drinks and other beverages through a straw positioned towards the back of the mouth," says Bassiouny in a news release. "Doing so will limit the amount of time the beverage is in contact with the teeth."

Bassiouny isn't bashing sodas. He says moderate consumption shouldn't cause significant damage. But overdoing it may be a problem, especially if dental habits aren't up to par.

2 Extreme Cases

Soft drinks are popular, but few people drink as much as the 18-year-old man and 16-year-old girl described by Bassiouny and colleagues in General Dentistry.

The 18-year-old routinely drank two liters soda every day, plus 20 more ounces before bed. The other teen, a 16-year-old girl, also drank a lot of soda -- a liter during the day, plus 12 ounces before bed.

Both had extreme tooth decay, to the point where bits of their teeth were falling out.

They aren't meant to represent all soda drinkers. The teens also didn't have the greatest health habits. Both were inactive, and the man was a smoker. No information is given on their brushing, flossing, or other dental care habits. But one thing is certain -- they had different drinking styles.