I get soft drinks very seldom. My main drink besides water is plain (unsweetened) tea. I never really craved candy or sugary pastries, etc. I’m older and have all my teeth. My dentist just did a thorough exam, including x-rays and said everything is fine. The only dental work I have had as an adult are cleanings (not even fillings).
I have relatives half my age who drink “diet” soft drinks all the time and for years have been “trying to” cut down on sweets. Their teeth are falling apart. And some of them also have diabetes. Any younger people reading this, think about how you want your health (including your teeth) to be like when you are 50 or 60. If you are just moderately good (nothing extreme and I have been far from perfect) in your choices and in how you take care of yourself, you might find that when you are older you have fewer problems than other people your age or even people you know who are younger than you.
No doubt, but OTOH, I have a mouth full of ( permanent ) hardware ... ( i.e. no dentures ) which have endured for some decades, now.
That includes bridges and implants.
I gotta figure that's gonna be it.
That's contingent upon my "mouthguard" ( whatever it's called ) ... i.e. mouthpiece ( like an athletic mouthpiece, except custom molded and rigid ) which I wear at night.
As you might guess, I've got one hell of a bite!
Anyway, God Bless Dentistry.