The acid in sodas slowly dissolves the enamel of children's teeth. The sugar provides food for the bacteria which cause early childhood caries. Early childhood caries, ECC, is a disease which afflicts many children. This new term encompasses baby bottle tooth decay, nursing caries, rampant caries, sipper cup caries, and caries related to consumption of soft drinks. Soft drink consumption by children can increase the susceptibility to both nutritional and dental problems.
Sodas have very little nutritional value, and frequently contain caffeine.
Mutans Streptococcus is the most important bacterium responsible for Early Childhood Caries. M. Streptococcus is a gram-positive bacterium that adheres to tooth surfaces for colonization and eventual production of an oral biofilm. This bacterium is acidophilic, and therefore thrives on the acids contained in soft drinks. Under the right circumstances, an adolescent's mouth may eventually harbor more than 400 species of microbes. These are white, chalky areas on the front teeth, close to the gum line.