Sweet Tooth to No Tooth! The Dangerous Effects of Sugar on Your Teeth

The Sugar Rush!

Triple chocolate fudge? An extra spoonful of refined sugar in your coffee? Doughnuts for breakfast? If you’re skimming through the dessert menu before ordering dinner, you know you have a sweet tooth. You’re also tired of hearing that **sugar is bad for your pearly whites**.
But how bad?

How Sugar Affects Your Teeth

Two strains of bacteria, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sorbrinus live in your mouth. When sugar enters, the bacteria become active and start secreting acid. When the acid comes in contact with your teeth, it destroys the enamel, producing little wedges. The wedges trap more bacteria, which in turn produce more acid causing more damage to the enamel.

As the process continues, plaque, a sticky film that traps bacteria, starts to build around the teeth. If plaque is not removed through proper brushing and flossing, it hardens to form tartar. That’s when thing gets worse. Eventually, this causes cavities to develop in the teeth leading to tooth decay.

Sugary foods to avoid

Some of these foods you’re probably eating on a daily basis have more sugar content in them than you can imagine. It’s common knowledge that candies and soft drinks are the main culprits of tooth decay, but here are some food items that should also avoid.

Flavored Yoghurt

Flavored yogurt with artificial food colors and flavors contain up to 28 grams of sugar per serving of 6 ounces. It’s better to eat plain sugar-free yogurt and add fresh fruits to it.

Canned Soup

Sugar is added to canned soups to increase its shelf life. One serving of canned soup contains 15 grams of sugar per cup.

Granola Bars

Granola bars are a healthy alternative for breakfast. But we bet you didn’t know that one bar contains up to 11 grams of sugar.

How to Reduce the Impact of Sugar

Instead of completely eliminating sugary foods from your diet, you can reduce the impact of sugar on your teeth.

Use a straw: If you love sugary drinks, it’s advised that instead if sipping your drink, use a straw. Using a straw reduces direct contact of sugar on your teeth, reducing the damage.

Wash it down with water: After having a sugary meal or drink, have a glass of water. Rinsing your mouth with water immediately washes off the sugar left on teeth.

Brush regularly and floss: It is recommended by dentists to brush your teeth thrice a day—
in the morning, after lunch, and at night before going to bed.

Along with brushing, you should also floss your teeth regularly. The purpose of flossing is not only to remove chunks of food, but also to remove the plaque between your teeth, preventing tooth decay.
Sugar isn’t the main cause of tooth decay; it’s the bacteria it attracts. To prevent tooth decays, avoid sugary food and drinks and visit your dentist regularly.

To get your dental appoint call the Advanced Dental Center at (301) 353-8890. Our family dentists in Germantown offers all kinds of dental services such as fluoride treatment, dental cleaning, partial dentures and more.

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