March 9, 2006 -- Gatorade erodes teeth faster than Coke, a new study shows.

That doesn't mean that Gatorade and other sports drinks are necessarily harder on your teeth than are Coke and other soft drinks. But it may be a surprise that they aren't any better, either, says researcher Leslie A. Ehlen, a student at the University of Iowa School of Dentistry.

"I don't think everybody realizes how erosive these things are, especially Gatorade and Red Bull," Ehlen tells WebMD. "People need to be aware that all sorts of beverages can be causing dental erosion."

Ehlen presented the study at this week's annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research in Orlando, Fla.

More and more dentists now think sugary drinks are the major culprit in tooth decay, says Brian Burt, PhD, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

"There is pretty good evidence now that this is not just sports drinks, but soft drinks and juices in general," Burt tells WebMD. "They have become the main source of sugars in the diet. It comes down to the more sugar in the drink, the more risk of [cavities] to the person drinking it."