In the March/April 2007 issue of General Dentistry (a publication of the Academy of General Dentistry), Poonam Jain, Patricia Nihill, Jason Sobkowski, and Ma Zenia Agustin published the paper “Commercial soft drinks: pH and in vitro dissolution of enamel”

They concluded that prolonged exposure to soft drinks can lead to significant enamel loss.

The researchers found that the teeth that were soaked in Coke®, Pepsi®, RC Cola®, Squirt®, Surge®, 7-Up®, and Diet 7-Up® lost more than 5 percent of their weight, while the remaining sodas created enamel weight losses ranging from 1.6 to 5 percent.

The most acidic soft drink was RC Cola with a pH of 2.387 (on a scale of 0 to 14 with 0 the most acidic and 14 the least). Cherry Coke's pH was 2.522, which was followed by Coke at a pH of 2.525.

A spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry states, "My patients are shocked to hear that many of the soft drinks they consume contain nine to 12 teaspoons of sugar and have an acidity that approaches the level of battery acid. The bottom line is that the acidity in all soft drinks is enough to damage your teeth and should be avoided." [Netscape: “The Worst Soda for Your Teeth Is ... RC Cola, followed by Cherry Coke and Coke”.]

Generally, they also found that non-cola drinks are more erosive than cola drinks, while sugared drinks both of cola and non-cola varieties are more erosive than diet drinks. Basically, they found that the erosive nature of soft drinks was not related to their pH value (acidity levels).

Within their paper, the authors stated that in 1966 Americans consumed about 20.3 gallons (77 liters) of soft drinks and 33.0 gallons (125 liters)  of milk. However, in 2003, they consumed about 46.4 gallons (176 liters) of soft drinks and 21.6 gallons (82 liters) of milk.

They also stated that the only nutrient in soft drinks is sugar. However, the nutrients in milk is minerals, proteins, vitamins (especially calcium).

The Academy of General Dentistry states in the article “Academy of General Dentistry Launches Campaign to Focus on Tooth Erosion”:

"Our profession and our members continue to see an increase of cases of this condition mainly due to changes in nutritional habits. Members who participated in our survey felt that consuming soft drinks, as well as other foods with a low pH value, contributes to tooth erosion."

"For example, soft drinks, which contain acids, break down the tooth surfaces. These acids also damage tooth enamel over time by dissolving the mineral structure of teeth, thinning the teeth. Eventually, because of repeated exposure to acid, the tooth's enamel will lose its shape and color. As the damage progresses, the underlying dentin (which is the tissue that makes up the core of each tooth) becomes exposed, causing the teeth to look yellow.”