How Does a High-Sugar Diet Affect the Teeth?

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Did you know that sugar actually can mean more cavities for your mouth? There is a direct correlation between cavities and sugar because of the role bacteria plays in your mouth. The more sugar you eat, the more susceptible you are to cavities and oral health problems. Find out how sugar leads to decay and what you can do to protect your teeth against oral health problems related to sugar!

Sugar and Your Teeth: What’s the Relation?

Before you take another bite out of a tasty treat, take a minute to think about what you are putting in your body. Sugar has many health effects that are negative if you consume too much.

Too much of it limits the amount of nutrient-rich foods you are consuming and can significantly raise your risk for obesity and chronic conditions.

Sugar can also damage your teeth. When you eat, sugars in foods and drinks mix with bacteria in your mouth to create plaque. This is a sticky, acidic substance that coats your teeth and eats away at your tooth enamel. The more sugar you eat, the more plaque your mouth makes. The more plaque there is, the quicker your teeth can decay. If you don’t brush that plaque away, it will continue to eat at your teeth, slowly causing cavities. If you eat lots of sugar, then odds are that you have cavities more often than someone who doesn’t eat tons of sugar.

When plaque sits on your teeth, the acids that were created from sugar start to break up your tooth minerals that keep your teeth hard-packed and tough. Over time, the teeth weaken and thin, creating tiny cracks and openings where more plaque gets in. As the teeth decay, that decay can spread further into the tooth until it reaches the tooth center with nerves and blood vessels. It then causes an infection that can cost you the entire tooth. The key is to limit your sugar intake and keep your teeth clean so sugar never can damage your oral health, nor cause oral health diseases.

What Are Current Sugar Recommendations?

Because countless studies have shown the damaging effects of sugar for your teeth and your health, national institutes and organizations of health have made health recommendations about how much sugar you should consume.

The American Heart Association recommends that men have no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugars a day. That’s about 150 calories of added sugars (not naturally occurring in food), or 36 grams. The recommendation is 6 teaspoons for women, or 100 calories/25 grams. For children, it’s much less. Children 4-8 should have no more than 3 teaspoons and very little to none for children younger than that. However, studies show that infants 1-3 years old already consume about 12 teaspoons of sugar a day, and 8 year olds have about 21 teaspoons. The numbers only increase as age increases, leaving just about everyone at risk for tooth decay. This is why the National Institutes of Health report that tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease among adults and children.

Hidden Sugar Foods

Many people skip out on obvious sugar foods like cookies, cakes and ice cream. However, you may have a diet primarily made up of sugar if you’re not checking food labels. When you do check labels, you’ll be surprised to find how much sugar is in your daily food choices. Here are some of the top “hidden” sugar foods that can decay your teeth just like candy bars or other sugar foods would. Watch for these foods and choose sugar-free options (if possible):

  • Yogurt
  • Condiments
  • Breakfast cereals
  • Bread (likely no sugar-free options)
  • Granola
  • Salad dressings
  • Dried fruit
  • Drinks (energy, sport varieties, sodas)
  • Smoothies
  • Peanut butter
  • Crackers

Most crackers or snack foods will break down into sugars if they are primarily made up of starch. Be aware of this when choosing your food choices.

Having Healthy Teeth Can Be Easy

Want healthy teeth that aren’t damaged by sugar? Here are our oral hygiene instructions to have excellent oral health:

  1. Brush Your Teeth – Brush at least twice a day for two minutes at a time. If you drink or eat acidic foods (citrus fruits, sodas, etc.) wait 20-30 minutes before brushing so acids don’t take off extra enamel when you brush. Brush gently so you don’t wear away your gum tissue. Make sure to brush your tongue and the roof of the mouth and replace your toothbrush every 1-2 months as well.
  2. Floss Your Teeth – This can remove trapped food and particles in areas where a toothbrush can’t reach (about 40% of tooth surfaces) and will help your teeth be cleaner when you finish with proper brushing.
  3. Use Mouthwash – This promotes dental health by killing bacteria in the mouth that produce plaque. You can use a fluoride mouthwash as well to strengthen tooth enamel.
  4. Avoid Tobacco – Tobacco greatly increases your risk for periodontal (gum) disease and oral cancer. Plus, it stains the enamel. Just avoid it!
  5. Minimize the Sugar – The bad bacteria in your mouth loves to mingle with sugar to make the plaque that erodes your tooth enamel and leads to tooth decay and gum disease. The more sugar you eat, the more time plaque has to erode your tooth enamel.
  6. Eat Good Foods – Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals to keep your teeth healthy and strong. Eating nutrient-rich and natural foods will help you avoid all the sugar and acids that processed foods contain. A more nutritious diet leads to healthy teeth.
  7. Get Checkups and Cleanings – Come in to see us AT LEAST twice a year for your cleanings and exams! This will ensure that tooth decay and gum disease don’t progress and the mouth stays healthy.

You can make your comprehensive exam and dental cleaning appointment by calling our Family & Cosmetic Dentistry of the Rockies office at (970) 267-0993!