What is the worst kind of soda for your teeth?

Soda is bad for you teeth?? Seriously - is there anything that actually tastes good that isn't bad for you in some way or another. Ok I have always know soda is bad for you - but it's place near the top of my list of guilty pleasures seems to fog my rational thinking. Can't help it - its just so good. But it is bad for your teeth - even diet coke, well especially diet coke. Taylor knows this - we tell him all the time how awful it is for his teeth especially now that he has braces. Well around the first of the year he heard me say that one of my new years resolutions was to nix our soda consumption. It scared him, scared him real bad. So he started scheming. He is a smart boy, he knows how important school projects are to me. I tend to bend over backwards to help him with anything related to his success in the academic world. So when the science fair came around he knew what to do. He choose a science project necessitating purchasing large quantities of soda - he also knows how cheap I am - I can't waste food. He knew if I bought it we would drink it. His project: Which soda is the worst for your teeth. Supplies needed: Soda, lots of it and a few other little things. He tested 13 different types of drinks, 10 of which were soda. He first tested their pH then soaked calcium carbonate (to represent teeth) in each different kind of soda and then determined which soda dissolved the most calcium carbonate. Coke won. Makes sense since this is also what we use to clean the corrosion off our car battery. I guess something strong enough to cut through battery acid would make short work of our teeth. Taylor got really lucky, ok we all did, the project didn't work the first time, so we had to head back to the store and buy another 10 2 liter bottles of soda. So much for my new years resolution. But we did get the science project done. And I must say it was worth it. Taylor's project did really well and he was selected to move on to the district science fair. He was so proud of himself. I love to see my kids shine - and when he told me about it he was glowing.

It's the middle of February now and I still haven't cut our soda consumption. I keep trying and something keeps coming up. First the science fair, next our vacation to St Thomas. How could forgo soda when the airline stewardess kept coming down the aisle with her complimentary beverage cart. No joking she pushed the cart from one end of the plane then turned around and went the other way offering drinks at least every 1/2 hour the entire length of the flight. Of course they were those dinky little clear plastic cups that with ice hold maybe 2 Tablespoons. But I did drink at least 12 of them each way. That has never happened to me before -never. Then we were in St Thomas and I realized that soda actually costs less than water - I did mention I was cheap didn't I - so that is a no brainer tastes better, costs less, no contest. So then I get home from St Thomas and ready to recommit myself to healthier living (especially after getting my picture taken in a swimsuit at least 1000 times). Well I go to the grocery store and see that they are giving away free 2 liter bottles of pepsi - it was free how could I not. I went twice this week. I might go again today. I might as well just give in and start saving for dentures.