Sugar Damages Enamel l Delta Dental of Illinois

By Dr. Sheila Strock on Might 4, 2022 in General oral health

You’ve most likely heard sugar isn’t good in your tooth because you had been a younger little one — however are you aware why? Be taught extra and see how straightforward it may be to chop down in your sugar consumption and restrict its results in your tooth.  

What sugar does to your tooth

As a lot as you may like sugar, the micro organism in your mouth are much more keen on it. Micro organism feed on sugar, forming dental plaque that turns into acidic and makes holes in your tooth — in different phrases, it causes cavities. That plaque may also result in gum illness and dangerous breath.

Meals which can be stuffed with sugar — together with shocking ones 

It’s well-known that many tempting meals are stuffed with sugar, together with cookies, pies, desserts, sweet, ice cream, frosting and non-diet soda. Sticky sweets that linger in your tooth – like caramels and dried fruit – are particularly damaging.

Nonetheless, you could be shocked to search out many different objects — together with some thought of to be wholesome and others that don’t even style candy — comprise massive quantities of added sugar, together with:

• Flavored yogurt
• Barbecue sauce
• Ketchup 
• Spaghetti sauce 
• Canned soup 
• Baked beans
• Breakfast cereals, granola and granola bars 
• Canned fruit, particularly in heavy syrup 
• Dried fruit
• Path combine
• Packaged muffins
• Salad dressing
• Fruit juice
• Chocolate milk
• Sports activities and vitality drinks
• Flavored coffees
• Sweetened iced tea
• Smoothies
• Espresso creamers

Meals which can be excessive in carbs, like chips, pretzels and crackers may also injury tooth. That’s as a result of these meals can stick in your tooth and break down into cavity-causing sugar. 

Kids who recurrently snack on starchy potato chips and sugary cookies are 4 occasions extra prone to get cavities than children who don’t.¹

The best way to restrict sugar injury to your tooth 

At any time when attainable keep away from meals and drinks which can be excessive in sugar. When you do indulge, accomplish that sparsely. The American Coronary heart Affiliation recommends not more than six teaspoons of sugar a day for most girls and 9 teaspoons for many males.

If you eat or drink one thing sugary, it’s higher to take action at mealtime slightly than as a snack. Your mouth produces extra saliva at a meal, serving to wash away sugar. When you snack or sip on high-sugar objects often, you’re exposing your tooth to sugar extra usually, rising your threat of cavities.

After consuming one thing sugary, be certain to drink water to assist take away a number of the sugar out of your tooth. Chewing sugar-free gum may also stimulate your saliva circulate to assist clear your tooth.

As a part of a wholesome, well-balanced eating regimen eat loads of fruits, greens, nuts, seeds, entire grains, low-sugar dairy merchandise and water. Fulfill your candy tooth with contemporary fruit or low-sugar variations of some widespread candy meals and drinks, so long as they aren’t acidic.

Limiting sugar to not more than 10% of your day by day energy has been proven to lower your threat of tooth decay.² The typical individual consumes about 350 energy in added sugar day by day.³

Along with consuming much less sugar, you may vastly cut back your threat of cavities by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste for 2 minutes every time, flossing day by day and visiting your dentist recurrently.

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³Harvard College of Public Well being