The cariogenicity of soft drinks was evaluated in 3,194 Americans aged 9 to 29 years who were examined during the NHANES I survey conducted from 1971 to 1974. A significant positive association was found between the frequencies of at- and between-meal consumption of soft drinks and high DMFT scores. These associations remained even after accounting for the reported concurrent consumption of other sugary foods and other confounding variables. The results of this study underscore the need for further evaluation of the relation between adhesiveness of sugary foods and dental caries and more research of the cariogenicity (or lack of it) of diet drinks. "Pure cariogenicity" is suggested as a term to apply to gram-for-gram comparisons, whereas "effective cariogenicity" also considers amount and frequency of consumption. Dentists and auxiliaries, in their dental health education, should not imply that sugary solutions are less cariogenic than sticky snacks, for there may be no difference in effective cariogenicity in modern American society.