Diet soda corrodes teeth as badly as illicit drugs, study finds

WASHINGTON - Carbonated soda can have an effect on teeth similar to the effect of illegal drugs, according to a study published in the clinical journal General Dentistry.

"Dental erosion lesions associated with diet soda could demonstrate similar clinical features and characteristics of destruction in the hard dental tissues as those observed in patients who abuse methamphetamine and crack cocaine," the study says. "The only difference is the degree of dentin lesion discoloration, which is related to the sugar/acid interaction in the medium."

The study compared drug users to a diet soda user. This photo depicts how the mouth of a meth user compared to a soda user. (Courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry)