Why Soda Is Bad for Your Teeth

Why Soda Is Bad for Your Teeth Youve heard soda is bad for your teeth, but it is really true? If it is, why is it bad? Answer: Yes, soda damages your teeth. Drinking a carbonated beverage is actually one of the worst things you can do for your dental health. The reason is because the carbonation that makes soda bubbly also makes it extremely acidic. Many sodas also contain citric acid, which gives the drink a tangy flavor, but destroys teeth. Its a one-two punch with sweetened sodas, because the low pH attacks tooth enamel, while the sugar feeds bacteria that cause decay. Youre not off the hook drinking diet soda, because its mainly the acid in soda that harms teeth. How To Minimize Damage To Teeth From Soda The best way to minimize damage to your teeth from soda is to avoid drinking it. If you cant give it up, try to reduce how often you drink it and follow these tips: Avoid colas and regular orange soda. Regular, diet, or flavored cola is the most acidic. The one with the highest sugar content is regular orange soda. Consider testing a sweetened soda to see how much sugar it contains. The results may surprise you! Non-colas drinks are still terrible for your teeth because they contain higher levels of citric acid. The pH of these drinks may be higher, but citric acid binds to calcium and erodes enamel.Sip soda through a straw. Drinking through a straw minimizes the contact between teeth and the acidic drink.If you must drink soda, try to have it with food rather than by itself. Food helps regulate the pH inside your mouth, limiting the acid attack on teeth.Rinse your mouth with water after drinking soda. This will help neutralize the pH and reduce the level of sugar. Alternatively, eat a dairy food. Dairy products help remineralize tooth enamel. You could also chew on a crunchy vegetable or xylitol-containing gum. This helps clean teeth.Dont brush your teeth right after drinking a soda. It sounds like it would be a good idea, but it actually makes a bad situation worse because the mechanical action of the toothbrush erodes weakened enamel. Allow at least half an hour after drinking soda (or eating anything acidic, like citrus or sour candy) before grabbing the toothbrush. Switch to root beer. Genuine root beer contains natural carbonation, so it doesnt contain the same levels of destructive phosphoric acid or citric acid. You can test how bad soda is for your teeth. If you can get hold of teeth (they dont need to be human teeth), soak them in soda and watch how quickly the dissolve. An easier option is to soak chicken bones. Bones arent quite as hard as teeth, but are chemically similar. The acid strips calcium from teeth and bones. Bones are left rubbery because they contain a lot of collagen. Teeth dissolve almost completely.

Teach for America - Profile on the Teach for America Program

Teach for America - Profile on the Teach for America Program What is Teach for America: Part of Americorps, Teach for America is a national program for new and recent college graduates where they commit to teach for two years in a low-income school teaching disadvantaged students. The mission of the organization according to their website is to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nations most promising future leaders in the effort. Since its inception in 1990, 17,000 individuals have participated in this rewarding program. Benefits of Participation: First and foremost, participating in Teach for America is a service organization where new teachers can truly make a difference right from the start. Over the course of the two years of involvement, teachers recive five weeks of intensive pre-service training and then ongoing professional development for the course of the program. Participants receive the pay and benefits of a typical teacher for the region where they are working. The program also provides teachers with loan forbearance along with $4,725 at the end of each year of service. They also provide transitional grants and loans ranging from $1000 to $6000. A Little Bit of History: Wendy Kopp presented the idea for Teach for America as an undergraduate at Princeton University. At the age of 21, she raised $2.5 million dollars and began recruiting teachers. The first year of service was in 1990 with 500 teachers. Today over 2.5 million students have been affected by this program. How to Get Involved: According to their website, Teach for America seeks a diverse group of promising future leaders who have the leadership skills to change the prospects of students.... Those recruited do not have to have any prior teaching experience. The competition is stiff. In 2007, only 2,900 were accepted out of 18,000 applicants. Applicants must apply online, participate in a 30 minute phone interview, and if invited attend a full-day face-to-face interview. The application is long and requires a lot of thought. It is suggested that applicants spend some time preparing for the application process before submitting. Issues and Concerns: While Teach for America is in many ways an excellent program, there are some concerns of which teachers should be aware. While according to studies including a recent one by the Urban Institute, teachers who work with Teach for America are in fact more effective than their traditional counterparts. On the other hand in terms of the experience for teachers, some new TFA teachers feel unprepared to be thrown into such a challenging teaching environment. It is important for any potential participant to fully investigate the Teach for America program and if possible speak with those who have actually participated in it.