Bad news for prosecco drinkers as new research has come to light that the bubbly may be damaging the nation’s teeth. 

A UK cosmetic dentist, Dr Richard Coates, has posited that prosecco hits a sore point for drinkers, a view that Dr Mervyn Druian, of the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry also holds. According to the professionals, prosecco poses two problems; the drink is both acidic and sweet, which can cause havoc to teeth in terms of increased erosion and decay. The Ph of the beverage, 3.25, is akin to that of sugary soft drinks. Fizzy drinks have come under fire recently as many consumers have become wary of the drinks’ typically high sugar content thanks to an increasing focus on personal health and increased focus on the drinks from the government. However, this has not stopped of age consumers turning to the sweet sparkling wine.

In terms of recent consumption, total wine volumes have been flat over Q2-17 in the UK. However, the story is somewhat different for prosecco. Sales of the drink have been rapidly increasing, reportedly growing from a measly two million litres in 2009 to a staggering 70 million litres in 2017.

This bank holiday weekend saw hordes of people queuing for prosecco at the discounter Lidl. The deal had been advertised highly, showing a case of six bottles of prosecco available for just £20, making the beverage only £3.33 rather than its usual £5.79. There were accounts of fights breaking out, massive queues forming and ultimately mass disappointment from patrons of the store as stock sold at a rapid pace, leaving many consumers without the drink over the long weekend.

However, with this new information hitting the mainstream about the potential damaging qualities of prosecco, alongside the already well known negative impact of alcohol consumption such as liver disease, numbness in extremities and damage to the frontal lobe of the brain, could impact consumption. Consumers are becoming particularly health conscious and this new information on the damage which could occur to teeth may be the deciding factor which could harm the UK’s prosecco industry.