Dental caries in adolescents associated with caffeinated carbonated beverages.

Dental caries is an infectious disease involving all age groups. Adolescence is a period in which the risk for dental caries remains especially high. Many factors, some unique to the teenage years, contribute to the initiation and progression of dental caries in this age group. One factor with the potential for being significant is the adolescent diet, especially the high consumption of sugars. One product that tends to contribute to the amount of sugar ingested is carbonated beverages. Many soft drinks also contain significant amounts of caffeine. Regular caffeine ingestion may lead to increased, even habitual, usage. It is suggested that the combination of the consumption of highly sweetened soft drinks and habitual usage of caffeine may significantly increase a susceptible adolescent's potential for developing dental caries. Cases are presented demonstrating the early initiation and rapid progression of dental caries in three adolescents. A common factor is the ingestion of high amounts of caffeinated-carbonated soft drinks.