Sugar-free sodas are not the healthy free pass to sweet drinks that you thought they were.

A new report reveals that sugar-free soft drinks are just as bad as their cane-sugar-laden contemporaries when it comes to oral health. The University of Melbourne study finds that sugar-free sodas, as well as lollies, sports drinks, and flavoured milks, are decaying those pearly whites, and fast.

Wait, what? Isn’t old-school sugar the culprit behind all things dental decay? The study found that the chemical composition of treats made with sugar substitutes (such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol) are just as likely to erode the surface areas of tooth enamel.

The high pH level and acidity of the foods, combined with the amount of the time that the teeth are exposed to them (farewell, lollipops), contributes to erosion.

The University’s Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre exposed human molars to a series of foods sold in Australia, including Gatorade, Powerade and Coca Cola.

So unless you’re going for that mouthful of silver-cladding look, it’s time to give up the sweet drinks altogether.

When it comes to confectionary, the report finds that menthol and mint-flavoured lollies generally have a lower pH level than fruity ones. The worst offender? Lemon.

So where does that place sugar-free gum? If you do want to indulge in lollies (sugar-free or otherwise), the study perhaps surprisingly gives the green light. Sugar-free gum stimulates salvia flow, which can wash away the acids. Rinsing your mouth out with water is also good, and you should wait an hour before brushing to protect your enamel.

If you’re contemplating whether to quit sugar, it’s best to avoid both versions. But if you want a peek at the delicious. team’s candy crushes, we spill the beans here.