1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,200 Speaker 1: Deep in the back of your mind, you've always had 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: the feeling that there's something strange about reality. There is 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: super annoyed, definitely nanopartic, mechanical punch evolution. On our award 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: winning science podcast Stuffable your Mind, we examine neurological quandaries, 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels, and our trans human future. New 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: episodes come out Tuesdays and Thursdays on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: and anywhere you get your podcast. Hey everybody, I'm a 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: curious person and I love constantly learning as much as possible. 9 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: I imagine you're the saying that's probably why you're listening 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: to this show, and that's why The Great Courses Plus 11 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: is perfect for us. It has unlimited access to a 12 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: huge library of engaging video lectures that are presented by 13 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: award winning professors. There's a wide variety of topics that 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: you can explore, including psychology, science, photography, and more. And 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: they're adding new courses all the time. Recently I enjoyed 16 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: one called the Scientific Pick Secrets for a Powerful Memory. 17 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: In this one, they talk about how our brains have 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: this remarkable capacity to store information and we can all 19 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: learn to better retain and recall that information with some 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: easy to use techniques. They talk about things like the 21 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: method of loci and chunking, which does not at all 22 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: sound like it's related to memory, more like feeding sharks 23 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: or something. But I'm sure it's great. 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Welcome to 33 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff, it's 34 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: me Christian Sager. So there's this urban myth that soda 35 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: can dissolve a tooth overnight. The Internet has thoroughly busted this. 36 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: But just because it's proven that hanging onto a mouthful 37 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 1: of cola for upwards of twelve hours won't hollow out 38 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: your jaw, that doesn't mean you should try it. Soft 39 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: drinks can indeed damage your pearly whites. But how and 40 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: how much? Well, let's talk teeth. Your teeth have four 41 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: basic layers, the root, the pulp, the denton protecting the pulp, 42 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: and the enamel tooth. Enamel is the hardest tissue the 43 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: human body produces. It's made up of crystal fibers packed 44 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: together into a smooth mineral casing, or as we call it, 45 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: a crown. But unlike your bones, enamel is not a 46 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: living tissue. Because it's not alive. That also means it 47 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: can't repair itself. That means it takes damage from daily 48 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: wear and tear, including what we eat and what we drink. 49 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: There are two types of trouble. Drinks can cause all 50 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: over erosion due to the acids they contain, and spot 51 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 1: decay caused by the bacteria that grow on your teeth. 52 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: Both come down to a pH imbalance on a scale 53 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: from zero to xenomorph. The human mouth has a pretty 54 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: neutral pH level, something around six point eight. The pH 55 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: scale itself runs from zero to fourteen, with zero being 56 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: the most acidic, fourteen being the most base or alkaline, 57 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: and seven being neutral like pure water. Some of the 58 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: bacteria in your mouth are sugar hungry, so when you 59 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: consume sweet stuff like soda, they throw the bacterial equivalent 60 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: of a house party. They'll link up into colonies on 61 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: your teeth called a biofilm or plaque, and feast on 62 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: the sugar and the lookscrete acids, which can weaken your 63 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: enamel whenever they're ancred down, eventually causing cavities. But Christian, 64 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: you might say, I only drink sugar free sodas well, 65 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: that'll save you from cavities. But all sodas contain acids 66 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: of their own. On the pH scale, soft drinks have 67 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: been found to range from around four point oh to 68 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:22,559 Speaker 1: two point four. For comparison, battery acid is a one. 69 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: Your saliva should bring your mouth back to normal within 70 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: half an hour or so, but your enamel can be 71 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: affected by anything from about a five point five or below. 72 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: The erosion in decay caused by chronic soda consumption can 73 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,840 Speaker 1: be rampant, and yes, rampant is the official medical term. 74 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: In one case study, soda abuse was found to do 75 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: dental damage equivalent to meth or crack abuse. The only 76 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: difference was the shade of discoloration in the patient's remaining teeth. 77 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:58,239 Speaker 1: Dentists recommend using straws and rinsing with water after drinking 78 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: any acidic or sugar re stuff. They also stress rushing 79 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: twice a day with fluoride or remineralizing products to help 80 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: maintain your enamel. In fact, it can't heal itself from 81 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: the inside the way your bones do, but the mineral 82 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: structure can be buffeted from the outside. These are good 83 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: habits even if you've never touched a soda in your life. 84 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: After all, sodas aren't the only culprits in enamel erosion, 85 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: in tooth decay, and your future relationship with dentures isn't 86 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: the only thing at stake here. Research has linked oral 87 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: health and whole body health. This means a disease that 88 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: starts in the mouth may have a hand in heart disease, 89 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory infections, and even some cancers. Check out 90 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: the brain stuff channel on YouTube, and for more on 91 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff works 92 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 1: dot com.