School is back in session and that means parents are once again faced with the task of packing school lunches. Make sure to pack a tooth-friendly lunch this year by avoiding some of the most harmful drinks. The key to protecting kids’ teeth is to keep drinks above the critical pH point of 5.5. At 5.5 demineralization occurs (mineral loss of the teeth) and cavity-causing bacteria activate. Here are 5 popular drinks with very low pH points that can be avoided this year.
1. Sunny Delight
It may taste orangy-sweet and be begged for by kids everywhere, but watch out! This drink sits at the VERY low pH point of 2.4.
2. Capri Sun
These sweet sips are also one to avoid as they are a pH of 2.6. They may be convenient, but you might regret packing them at your next dental visit.
3. Welch’s white grape juice
Grape juice is a lunchbox standard, but if you are concerned with your child’s oral health it might be better to avoid the old standby. With a pH of 2.8 it will do more harm than good.
4. Juicy Juice
With a low pH of 3.5 Juicy-Juice can take the fun out of lunchtime in a hurry.
5. Gatorade
As sports seasons kick off many parents want their kids to stay hydrated. Send water at a pH of 7.0 instead of Gatorade that sits at a low 2.95.
So what is a busy parent to do?! Safe options include milk (pH of 6.8) and water (pH of 7). Your kids don’t have to miss out on ALL the fun. Milk comes in easy to pack boxes or you can splurge on a fun thermos! If plain water is too boring, try infusing the water with things like cucumber, mint or berries.
This blog post was originally posted in carifree.com/blog.