While most of the bacteria in your mouth are beneficial to your health and aid in digestion, some of them will gradually damage your enamel when they interact with unhealthy amounts of sugar. Your enamel is the shiny protective coating that covers your teeth.
When you consume harmful quantities or types of sugar, the bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar and convert it into acids that attack your enamel. When your enamel is no longer covering your teeth, you will eventually develop cavities.
Why Are Cavities So Bad?
While cavities aren’t always painful and visible, they are your free pass to tooth decay if not treated.
Cavities do not disappear independently; they must be treated by filling them or removing the infected tooth entirely. If you ignore them, they will become painful and cause further dental problems, such as gum infection, which could spread to your jaw area.
Should I Stop Eating Sugar?
Eliminating sugar from your diet is unrealistic; sugar is present in almost everything edible. What you can do to keep sugar from damaging your teeth is to eat healthy sugars and limit your sugar intake.
In addition, your mouth has its self-defense mechanism. Saliva prevents enamel stripping by producing phosphate and calcium in a process known as remineralization.
So it’s not the sugar itself that’s bad for your teeth, but the constant interaction it has with bacteria in your mouth.
What Kind of Sugar Is Bad for My Teeth? Generally, processed or refined sugar is the most damaging to your teeth. Other things to avoid are healthy snacks, and protein shakes with unknown ingredients.
Most so-called healthy or sugar-free foods contain sweeteners that are still sugar and will harm your teeth.
How Do I Protect My Teeth From Sugar?
You can’t avoid sugar entirely, but there are steps you can take to prevent tooth damage. Here are some steps you can take:
Brush at least twice daily: Brushing regularly goes a long way in protecting your teeth from plaque build-up and removing sugar before they interact with bacteria that convert to acids that attack your teeth.
In addition, brushing is the most advisable routine to remove food particles from your meal. That way, there will be no leftover food particles in your teeth throughout the night, potentially reacting with bacteria to produce acids.
Protect your teeth from direct contact with sugar: If you’re fond of sugary drinks, a great hack is to use straws. They limit the contact your teeth have with these liquid sugars.
Don’t eat sugar alone: Instead of eating sugary food as a stand-alone, eat them with other food. You can balance sugary drinks by eating healthy whole grains and fresh vegetables afterward.
Rinse your mouth after eating sugary food: It helps reduce the concentration of sugar in your mouth.
Stimulate saliva production after eating: When you continuously produce saliva, it prevents sugar from sitting in your mouth. You can do these by chewing on sugar-free gum or crunchy fruit like apples.
Use a sugar acid-neutralizing toothpaste: It deactivates sugar before it gets converted into acid that attacks your teeth.
Schedule regular visits: Visit a dental professional to have teeth cleaning at least twice a year.
How Do I Know Sugar Is Damaging My Teeth?
Here are some obvious signs you’re eating too much sugar:
- Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold food
- Cavity
- Toothache
- Brownish/blackish stains on the tooth surface
- Bad breath
Eating excess sugar could result in cavities and tooth decay. You can avoid these by practicing good oral hygiene and visiting the dentist to have your teeth cleaned regularly. Schedule a meeting with your dental clinic for the most appropriate oral care for your mouth.