One of the most popular beverages at McDonald’s is sweet ice tea. Believe it or not, many people go through the drive thru multiple times a day to order this incredibly delicious beverage. While drinking McDonald’s sweet ice tea every once in a while is no big deal, making it a part of your regular routine can lead to problems down the road.
You may be surprised learn that one 32 oz glass of McDonald’s ice tea has over eight tablespoons of sugar and 230 calories. Yes, you read that right. Over eight tablespoons of sugar. When you drink sugar filled drinks like McDonald’s ice tea, the sugar can produce acids that dissolve and damage the teeth.
If you love sweet tea and can’t completely eliminate it from your diet, consider making your own sweet tea rather than purchasing it from McDonald’s. When you make your own ice tea, you can control how much sugar you put in it. By keeping the sugar to a minimum, you can reduce your risk of tooth decay and other oral complications down the road.
To ensure optimal oral health, however, we encourage you to make water your drink of choice. Water is free of sugar and can help wash food debris and keep your saliva levels high. This is important as saliva is your mouth’s ideal defense against tooth decay because it features proteins and minerals that can counteract acids that eat away at enamel.
While you don’t have to give up McDonald’s ice tea for the rest of your life, you should be mindful for how frequently you drink it. It may be a good idea to save it for special occasions.
Contact Mile High Smiles
For more information on sweet tea and beverages that are good and bad for your health, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Levitin at our Lakewood, Colorado dental office. Call us at (720) 239-1916.
