The debate over whether energy drinks have health implications usually centers around heart-related issues. But, a new study published in the journal General Dentistry reveals yet another compelling reason for oral argument.

Citing the General Dentistry study, Women's Health reports that drinks like Red Bull and Amp have the same acidic effect on our teeth as sodas. The article states that these power-up drinks restrict our saliva's natural ability to neutralize acids-which thereby allows this acid to take up temporary residence in our mouths, where it is then able to penetrate our gums.

To fight back against these tooth-tarnishing energy drink villains, the folks at Women's Health suggest using straws (aim your drink toward the back of the mouth), rinsing with water to dilute acids, and not brushing your pearlies for 30 minutes after downing energy drinks, for the scrubbing can remove enamel ­weakened by acidity.

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Too much of a good thing ... yeah, this saying applies to exercise, too. While it is very important to always push yourself hard during workouts, going TOO far (or too often, too long, too much, etc.) can lead to over-training.

When this happens, you actually start regressing. Muscle wasting occurs, body fat storage can increase, and immune suppression can lead to sickness and infection. One of the major reasons for these physiological responses to over-training is the release of excess amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. And while coritsol's body-busting affects have been known for quite some time, new research shows that it may also have a negative effect on your gums.

A study published in the Journal of Periodontology (a must for all summer reading lists) indicates that cortisol can worsen elements of gum disease. Bad bones, bad body, and now bad teeth? Man, that cortisol is some nasty stuff.

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When it comes to brushing your teeth, applying more pressure helps get your teeth as clean as possible, right? Wrong -- and you can even be doing your chompers some damage by cleaning them too hard, according to studies. Brushing too hard for too long--not to mention brushing improperly--can lead to problems like gum recession, periodontal disease and tooth sensitivity. Ouch!

Some tips:

• Make sure you use a soft-bristled tooth brush--ditch that hard or medium one pronto!
• Make sure you only brush your teeth for 2 minutes tops. Consider buying an electric toothbrush that will time it out for you.
  
• If you choose an non-electric brush, make sure you hold it at a 45-degree angle and brush up and down or in circles from the tip of the tooth right up to the gum line.

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If your mom was one to push the orange juice when you were sniffling and sneezing, she may have had good reason.

A review of more than 30 studies shows that taking one 1,000-mg vitamin C supplement per day may help shorten the duration and severity of cold symptoms, especially when you're under stress. You don't need to take a supplement 365 days a year, though, because vitamin C doesn't prevent colds from coming on. It just might help once that cold arrives, though.

There's a lot of speculation about the merits of vitamin C. Some believe in it; some think it's pretty useless. Whatever your view, the current recommended dose of this vitamin is 60 mg daily. One eight-ounce glass of orange juice contains 97 mg.

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In addition to the many many many reasons not to drink soda, here's another: It rots your teeth. Does this really come as a surprise to anyone? I mean, with all that sugar and calcium-sucking acidic carbonation, how could it not? I think the real question is: Why is the soda industry doing better than ever, now that we know all we do about how bad it is for us? Or to paraphrase: Why are we still drinking it in huge quantities?

I consider myself lucky because growing up, I wasn't allowed soda, and these days I still don't have a taste for it. My parents weren't health nuts either -- they were just old fashioned and believed that homemade was better than mass-produced. So to me it really is baffling that people can't give up soda. What is it? The taste? The caffeine? The carbonation? Are we slaves to the advertising? I'll take healthy teeth, bones and body over a coke any days.

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Once you're an adult you only have the one set of teeth, so it's worthwhile to take care of them for that reason alone, if not for the fact that poor oral hygiene has also been linked to other surprising health problems like heart disease. But brushing your teeth correctly isn't as easy as it seems, and some of us need some help to do it right. Oral-B Triumph to the rescue! It tells you where to brush and for how long, and even warns you if you're pressing too hard. It has 4 cleaning patterns to choose from and personalize, and it syncs up with a handy mirror-mounted LCD screen to keep you constantly in the loop on how you're doing. Expect them in September for about $150 (I guess fanciness like this doesn't come cheap!).

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There is nothing worse than that horrible stinging piercing grating nerve pain that comes right when you bite into something hot, or cold, or sweet, or sour...you get the idea. Sensitive teeth stink.

There are some things you can do to make them less bothersome, though, like simply switching to a softer toothbrush and using toothpaste and mouthwash specifically designed for sensitive teeth. Other than that you'll probably have to ask your dentist for advice, and learn what's causing your sensitivity in the first place. Usually it's receding gums exposing roots, in which case working to prevent that from getting any worse becomes a priority. There's no easy fix, so maybe finding and avoiding problematic foods could help? Any ideas that work for you?

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Recently there has been talk about how having a healthy mouth and assertive treatment for gum problems can have a direct impact on your cardiovascular health. Well now it seems that your blood vessels aren't the only (seemingly) unrelated part of your body that is effected by how healthy your mouth is: women with gum disease are at an increased risk for premature birth of their babies, as well as low birth weight.

Unfortunately, they have yet to determine how treatment of periodontal disease during pregnancy affects the outcome, so it looks like being proactive and starting your pregnancy healthy is your best bet. Isn't it always?

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As Rigel posted on earlier, there are some health conditions that, when allowed to deteriorate, can affect other systems in the body. In that vein, a new study concluded that chronic gum infection and cardiovascular problems can be interrelated. We've heard this before, but this new study strengthens that tie even tighter.

New research shows that treatment of severe periodontal disease was associated with improved blood flow and more elasticity of arteries -- and that leads to a healthier heart. When a chronic bacterial infection affects the gums and bones supporting the teeth, the endothelium (inner lining of blood vessels) can be negatively impacted.

Result? Nagging problems in the gum area can impact -- over the long term -- the very system that keeps blood flowing into and out of the heart. There will always be systems inside the human body that can affect one another -- and keeping as many as possible in good shape most likely will result in overall good health.

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In a study of 120 people suffering from severe cases of gum disease (periodontitis), those who received more aggressive treatment showed healthier cardiovascular systems in the long run.

The participants were split into two groups, one receiving standard gum disease treatment (having teeth scraped and polished) while the other received more aggressive therapy (anesthesia with below the gum-line plaque removal, and possible teeth extractions). Although at first it appeared the standard-treatment group was doing better, in the long run (2+ months) the aggressive-therapy group had much improved blood vessel health.

It's like that song "the hip bone's connected to the leg bone," but it's your heart and teeth instead.

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