Survey: Cola Cavities

From a young age, we’ve been warned of the damage that can be caused to your teeth by sugary drinks, due to their combination of sugars, carbonation and acids. There is actually a term, ‘Cola Cavities’, which refers specifically to tooth decay caused by the frequent consumption of soft drinks. Interestingly, this concept is common in the Appalachian region of the US, where 98% of people experience tooth decay before the age of 44. However, the carbonated soft drink industry in America is valued at more than $136 million and only increasing with each year.

And with more people working from home since the start of the pandemic with easy access to sugary drinks, convenience foods and a candy stash (and less frequent visits to the dentist), it’s likely that many are struggling with their dental health in general.

Cola Cavities by State

Infographic and table below illustrate results and rankings across the country, broken down by state (1 being the most likely to suffer from ‘Cola Cavities’ and 50 being least likely).

Ranking	State	% that have delayed check-ups	% have increased sugary drinks consumption
1	Louisiana	69	87
2	Mississippi	68	88
3	West Virginia	65	88
4	Oklahoma	72	78
5	Georgia	63	86
6	Virginia	71	77
7	North Dakota	68	79
8	Idaho	69	77
9	North Carolina	65	81
10	Texas	70	75
11	Ohio	70	73
12	Tennessee	72	70
13	Arkansas	60	81
14	Illinois	68	72
15	South Carolina	67	72
16	Indiana	57	81
17	Minnesota	66	72
18	Kentucky	67	68
19	New York	68	67
20	Alabama	63	71
21	Michigan	63	71
22	Nebraska	54	80
23	South Dakota	68	65
24	Wisconsin	62	70
25	Missouri	66	65
26	Kansas	61	69
27	Nevada	58	72
28	Iowa	56	73
29	New Jersey	61	66
30	Oregon	68	55
31	Washington	65	58
32	Massachusetts	61	60
33	Pennsylvania	65	56
34	Florida	46	73
35	Arizona	62	55
36	New Mexico	65	52
37	Utah	60	56
38	California	61	52
39	Wyoming	55	57
40	Connecticut	52	58
41	New Hampshire	46	64
42	Maryland	57	52
43	Colorado	48	60
44	Montana	65	42
45	Vermont	53	51
46	Maine	41	61
47	Hawaii	51	49
48	Alaska	55	42
49	Delaware	51	44
50	Rhode Island	49	40

Based on a survey of 5,400 Americans aged 18+; January 2022

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