Candy, soda, sweets — we’ve always heard from our parents that too much will rot our teeth!
Well, looks like it’s true! You know, alongside giving the world diabetes and obesity problems!
According to this new study, in Appalachia there’s one major soda to blame for destroying their teeth, and the aftermath of consuming the amount they do even has a name: ‘Mountain Dew Mouth.’
Mountain Dew is the region’s favorite drink, and now something needs to be done about it — so they’re writing new policies, including restricting soda purchases with food stamps.
Here’s what one analyst had to say:
“We are using taxpayer dollars to buy soda for the SNAP program, and we are using taxpayer dollars to rip teeth out of people’s heads who can’t afford dental care and are on Medicaid. It makes no sense to be paying for these things twice.”
Like any company worth it’s weight, of course they’re denying any of these claims. They’ve even challenged claims REPEATEDLY, only to have dentists fight back.
Here’s what one dentist had to say:
“I see erosion from the acids in the drinks, and decay from the sugars. They go hand in hand many times, and they’re equally bad. I would definitely attribute these problems to drinks.”
Meaning, both sodas and energy drinks, along with sugary juice drinks. They even say they’re way worse than the sugary effects from food!
Another shocking side to this is that dentists see a lot of similarities between methamphetamine or crack on teeth, and Mountain Dew Mouth.
Now, the problem with MDM in Appalachia also has to do with dental care being harder to get in that region, because it includes many of the poorest and most remote communities in the country. When people don’t trust the well water, they reach for soda.
Oh, and Mountain Dew was invented in Tennessee!
The stats are unavoidable! About 26 percent of preschoolers have tooth decay, and 15 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have had a tooth extracted because of decay or erosion!
The question is, though — should we be regulating what people eat, or is it their decision to rot out their own teeth?
Is it right to step in because of government funding?
Tell us what U think!!
[Image via AP Images.]
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