A survey by the Australian Dental Association (ADA) revealed that majority of active Australians are unknowingly damaging their teeth by consuming high amount of sports and intra-workout drinks.
As part of the research, ADA surveyed 1,262 active Australians and parents of active children across the country.
Figures released by the study show that around 35.1% of active adults drink sports or intra-workout drinks at least once a week when exercising.
The sports and intra-workout drinks are specially formulated carbohydrate-electrolyte products to prevent dehydration, heat stroke and muscle cramps in athletes, while providing fast rehydration.
When such drinks are consumed on a daily basis, the amount of acid present in them can lead to teeth erosion, ADA says.
Due to frequent consumption of sports drinks, saliva that acts as a powerful natural defence mechanism against erosion will not have enough time to repair the damage.
ADA Oral Health Committee Chair and dentist Dr Peter Alldritt said: "Our research has found that while active Australians are doing the right thing by looking after their health and fitness, it is worrying to see that nearly one in two are neglecting their dental health by excessively drinking sports drinks, sipping them over long periods of time frequently each week, causing potentially permanent damage to their teeth."
Around 18.9% of active Australians were found to ignore the warning signs of tooth decay.
