Sports drinks have long been an essential part of training regimes, but dentists are now sending out warnings against the constant consumption of these, stressing that these can have a negative effect on people's teeth.

Jacinta Worlana former competitive triathlete, is currently facing a dental bill of the whopping $20,000 this year, and this, she strongly believes, is courtesy years of drinking endless liters of sports drinks and consuming fruit gels.

Her troubles first started with tooth decay, and then became much worse. Presently, she is busy preparing to have four of teeth extracted and has already paid thousands of dollars for crown implants and root canal treatments over the past 10 years.

Dentists have warned that the acidity of sports or energy drinks tends to attack enamel and also contributes to erosion of teeth. Athletes, in particular, are at an increased risk because when they become dehydrated during training or competition, they produce less of saliva. Saliva protects teeth from harm.

''With repeat exposure there's the possibility of permanent, irreversible damage. Participants need to be aware of the risks beforehand and often that's not the case", said Dental Surgeon John Banky.