Why Sugar is Bad for Your Oral Health?

It’s common knowledge that sugar is your teeth’s nemesis. Sugary food items and beverages cause tooth decay, cavities and tooth loss.

A certain type of harmful bacteria in your mouth produce acid every time they encounter and digest sugar. These bacteria remove minerals from your tooth enamel and later your saliva tries to reverse the damage and remineralise your enamel. Over time this constant demineralisation and remineralisation of your tooth enamel weakens your enamel and causes cavities.

Are you wondering how exactly sugar is harmful to your teeth and how you can indulge in sweet food items and drinks without harming your pearly whites? Read along as we tell you how sugar affects your oral health and how you can prevent dental woes that excessive intake of sugar can cause.

How does sugar affect your teeth?

Sugar encourages the overgrowth of bad bacteria in your mouth which then cause plaque and tartar build-up. Not just that, sugar also disturbs the pH of your mouth. Wondering how your tooth is sensitive to sweets? Sugar ruins the environment inside your mouth and makes your mouth more acidic which is a breeding ground for cavities and other severe dental problems.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) commissioned a systematic literature review in 2010 that shows the effects of sugar on your pearly whites. This review showed consistent evidence that the amount of sugar you consume significantly affects your chances of developing dental caries, i.e. tooth decay. This review also suggested that you can lower your chances of falling prey to tooth decay by reducing your daily sugar intake to less than 10% of your daily energy intake.

Dietary Habits Involving Sugar That Cause Tooth Decay

Curious to know which food habits contribute to cavities and tooth decay? Here are some dietary habits involving sugar that you must avoid to get healthy gums and teeth.

1. Overindulging in sugary snacks

If you are someone who is constantly bingeing on sugary snacks, then you might end up falling prey to cavities and tooth decay. This is because when you overeat food items that are high in sugar, your teeth are overexposed to the dissolving of various acids which are known to damage your teeth.

2. Over-consumption of sweet or acidic beverages

Just like food items that are high in sugar, sugary and acidic beverages are bad for your teeth’s enamel for the same reason. Sugary and acidic drinks increase your chances of suffering from cavities and tooth decay.

3. Sipping sweet drinks

Do you know what is worse than indulging in sugary drinks? Sipping on them instead of drinking them directly. This is because when you sip on sugary drinks, the sugary beverage remains in your mouth for an extended period of time which increases your chances of developing cavities.

4. Eating sticky food items

We are talking about candies, lollipops and sugary mints which again you keep in your mouth for a long time. They can cause cavities, tooth decay and premature tooth loss.

Tips For Preventing Tooth Decay Caused by Sugar

Intrigued to know how you can prevent tooth decay which is caused by sugar without completely going off sugar? Here are some handy tips that will help you strike a balance and prevent tooth decay caused by sugar.

• Limit your sugar consumption as much as you can.
• Avoid using a straw for sugary and acidic beverages.
• Maintain a healthy diet and indulge in food items that are known to keep your teeth healthy like raw fruits and vegetables.
• Invest in your oral care regime and buy premium-quality dental care products by makeO that will make maintaining your teeth seem like a cakewalk.
• Practise good oral hygiene. By this we mean, you must religiously brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss your teeth once a day.
• Don’t skip routine dental check-ups and clean-ups at your dentist’s.

Care for your teeth with makeO toothsi oral care

The bottomline is that sugar and teeth are closely associated and hence you must keep a check on your sugar intake to achieve healthy teeth and gums.

makeO toothsi can be your ideal dental care partner if you want to achieve healthy teeth and gums with minimum effort. Our futuristic and innovative oral care products like smart water dental flosser, electric brushes, teeth whitening kits, etc have helped oral care enthusiasts to upgrade their oral care game like never before.

Wish to know more? Browse through our website to check out our carefully curated list of oral care products or get in touch with team makeO toothsi today to kickstart your teeth straightening journey with our new-age and fuss-free clear aligners.

FAQs:

Will I stop getting cavities if I stop eating sugar?

You can still develop cavities even if you stop consuming sugar as cavities are caused by several other factors like dry mouth, carbs, acidic food items and beverages, etc.

How does dry mouth cause cavities?

Your saliva washes away the harmful bacteria in your mouth and maintains the pH balance of your mouth. People who have dry mouth condition have low saliva production which can lead to cavities.

What are some foods and beverages which can cause cavities?

Overindulging in soda, starchy or acidic food items, coffee, candies,etc can cause cavities in adults and kids alike.

Should you brush immediately after eating sweet foods?

Experts recommend you wait for at least 30 minutes before you brush your teeth after you consume something sweet. This will allow your saliva enough time to wash away some of the acids which can erode your teeth.