How Sugar Affects Your Teeth
Sugar certainly has a reputation when it comes to oral and dental health. With Halloween and the holidays just around the corner, now is as good a time as any to answer the age-old question:
“Is sugar really bad for your teeth?”
And if so, then why is sugar bad for your teeth? Are all sugars equally as harmful to your teeth? Or are some worse than others? And how can you combat the effects of sugar on your teeth?
How Sugar Affects Your Teeth
Interestingly enough, the source of the problem and damage to your teeth when it comes to sugar is not necessarily the sugar itself but the harmful bacteria living in your mouth.
Your mouth houses approximately somewhere between 500 and 700 SPECIES of bacteria and possibly as many as 20 billion bacteria at any given time. Some of these bacteria are good and some are harmful. Helpful bacteria help prevent or limit tooth decay. The harmful bacteria can cause cavities and diseases. It is important to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in your mouth and to avoid a hostile takeover of harmful bacteria.
That’s where sugar comes in.
Sugar feeds the harmful bacteria. Essentially the harmful bacteria encounters and digests the sugar and then produces acid or plaque (which eventually becomes acidic). The acid is what eats away at the enamel on your teeth. If the acid is allowed to continue to attack your tooth enamel, eventually enough enamel is worn away to cause a cavity.
In addition to its role in causing tooth decay, sugar also attracts the harmful bacteria that causes gum disease and gingivitis.
The Worst Kinds of Sugar For Your Teeth
Not all sugars are created equal. Sugars from natural or whole foods, such as fruit, have a healthier balance of naturally occurring liquid and fiber, which helps your body produce more saliva and in turn washes away the sugar while it’s being consumed. Processed sugar or whole foods that have been processed or modified (like dried fruit) are more likely to leave sugary, sticky substances on your teeth that can only be removed by brushing, flossing, using mouthwash and having a professional cleaning.
The worst kinds of sugars for your teeth are foods composed of sucrose, or table sugar. Sodas, candy, sticky or chewy foods (syrups, dried fruits, etc), sodas and fruit juices all contain sugars that harmful bacterias thrive on. These are the ones you want to stay away from as much as possible and always brush and floss your teeth as soon as possible after consuming them.
What to know what other foods and drinks are bad for your teeth? Read our article:
“5 Best and Worst Foods For Your Teeth”
How to Prevent the Damaging Effects of Sugar on Your Teeth
Eating and drinking sugars is simply inevitable. Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, natural and processed sugars are in the majority of foods and beverages people consume (other than natural water). To keep the harmful effects of sugar from winning the battle in your mouth, here are a few tips to live by:
Drink water. Drinking water after eating or even after drinking a sugary beverage can help wash the sugars out of your mouth and away from the surface of your teeth.
Brush and floss your teeth regularly. You may want to keep a dental kit at your office, in your car or in another convenient place where you can give your teeth a quick and thorough cleaning after eating throughout the day.
Chew sugar-free gum with xylitol. Chewing sugar-free gum can increase your saliva production (which helps fight bad bacterias), and xylitol has been shown to have antimicrobial properties.
Talk to your dentist. Your lifestyle and medical or dental history can have an impact on how your body is able to respond to sugar consumption. Alcohol usage and even certain medications can affect saliva production and change how your body is able to fight back against sugars and harmful bacteria in your mouth.
Since sugar is virtually impossible to avoid, the best approach to protecting your teeth against the effects of sugar is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy relationship with your dentist.
At WoodSprings Dentistry, Drs. Samantha and James Tejada want to partner with you in helping you achieve a lifetime of oral and dental health. We love to see The Woodlands and Spring, TX, communities with healthy, confident smiles! If you have questions about your oral or dental health or you are ready to schedule your next dental cleaning and hygiene appointment, then contact our office today.