Americans love sweets, especially in drinks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 63% of children and 50% of adults drink a sugar-sweetened beverage on any given day. All that sugar can cause real problems for good dental health. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize damage, according to Dr. Shira Tor, an orthodontist with Weiss and Tor in Orange and Middleburg Heights.

“The mouth is able to handle it and repair itself,” Tor said. “When you eat sugar, immediately your saliva is going to try to neutralize it and to try to sweep it off of your teeth because sugar will stay on your teeth and it can start to eat away and bacteria forms. That’s how cavities are made.

“The bigger issue is when we combine the sugar with acid. When you’re drinking pop or when you’re

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