Americans drink more than 575 soft drinks on average every year – about one and a half cans a day for everyone in the United States. Drinking these beverages places those who may not follow proper oral hygiene techniques at a higher risk for cavities and other oral health problems.

However, according to a report in the May/June 2005 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal, drinking soft drinks and other beverages through a properly positioned straw can help to minimize the risk of cavities. The report tracked patient drinking habits and found that different factors – such as the frequency of sipping and the amount of time the beverage remains in the mouth – affect the type, location and severity of tooth decay.

For example, decay will be concentrated in the back molars of a person who drinks directly from a can and allows the liquid to pool in the mouth. Or, decay will be found on the front teeth in a person who drinks through a straw positioned at the front of the mouth, right behind the lips.

"Your best option is to sip soft drinks and other beverages through a straw positioned towards the back of the mouth," advises Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, MSc, PhD, and lead report author. "Doing so will limit the amount of time the beverage is in contact with the teeth."

Reviewed: January 2012