Sugar gets a bad rap. It takes the blame for everything from obesity and diabetes to acne and hyperactivity. How can something that tastes so good be so bad for you?
Sadly, the verdict is in, and sugar is guilty on all counts, including tooth decay. But to be fair, sugar itself isn’t the culprit; it’s the chain reaction of events that occur when you eat sugary foods that causes the problems.
Here to explain how sugar affects your teeth is our team of dental professionals at St. Tammany Periodontics & Implants. We have offices in Covington and Slidell, Louisiana, and love to discuss oral health with our patients to arm them with the facts.
Let’s explore the link between teeth and sweets.
It’s not a pleasant thought, but your mouth is a bacteria breeding ground. Like your gut, your mouth contains good and bad bacteria, and the goal is to keep the balance tipped toward the good.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do much to regulate the environment in your mouth — brushing and flossing, rinsing and spitting, and staying hydrated are about all it takes. Unless you eat sugar.
When you introduce sugar into the equation, it throws the environment out of whack. The bacteria rush to the sugar molecules and produce acid. Acid zaps the minerals in your tooth’s enamel, a process called demineralization.
Saliva to the rescue — saliva not only whisks away sugary food or drink, but it also remineralizes your teeth by restoring calcium and phosphate. Using fluoridated toothpaste can also remove the sugar and acid and restore lost minerals.
Sugar and bacteria are highly attracted to one another, and whenever they get together, trouble ensues.
Of the countless bacteria swimming in your mouth, two are especially devious: streptococcus sorbrinus and streptococcus mutans.
When these destructive pathogens feed on sugar, they produce a sticky film called plaque that clings to your teeth. You can’t see or feel it, but if you skip a brushing and flossing session, it spreads and quickly changes the pH balance in your mouth.
Neutral pH is 7, but when plaque covers your teeth, it can drop drastically to 5 or lower, which is very acidic. At that level, the acid starts eroding your enamel.
The moment you put sugar in your mouth, whether you eat it or drink it, the bacteria rush to the sweet molecules and start producing acid and plaque. That doesn’t mean you need to give up sugar for life, but it does mean you need to rethink how much sugar you ingest.
Several factors determine how sugar affects your teeth.
Eating an occasional bonbon won’t ruin your teeth, but if sugar is the main ingredient in most of your meals, your teeth are in trouble.
Your saliva can wash away small amounts of sugar, but if you eat a jumbo slice of chocolate cake, the sugar overwhelms your saliva and wins the battle.
Even if you steer clear of big, sugary desserts, you can still do damage by consuming small quantities all day long.
Think about soft drinks and fruit juices that you sip throughout the day. Mints, sugary gum, and even cough drops that keep your teeth in constant contact with sugar are stealthy bombs that wreak havoc on your teeth.
Armed with this information, you may be convinced you need to watch your sugar intake, but that may be tricky, because sugar hides in surprising places. Processed foods, potato chips, crackers, pasta, salad dressings, and sauces are just a few of the foods that contain hidden sugar.
Beware of sticky sweets, even in small quantities, because they linger in the crevices between your teeth. Saliva alone can’t dislodge taffy and toffee, so brush and floss after indulging in these treats.
Sugar-induced acid attacks and pH problems destroy the protective enamel on your teeth and develop tooth decay. Cavities are tiny holes that form in your teeth. We can fix them with fillings, but if you ignore them, the erosion dives deeper into your tooth.
Here’s how to battle sugar-related tooth decay:
Tooth decay and gum disease often go hand in hand, so curbing your sugar habit can also save your gums. If plaque and infection have invaded your gums, we offer periodontal maintenance services to deep clean your teeth below the gumline and restore receding gums.
We also use advanced laser therapy to remove gum disease, so your treatment is quick and comfortable.
If sugar has done a number on your teeth, we can help. Request an appointment online or call us at 985-778-0241.
