Your mouth is full of bacteria. Many of these bacteria are beneficial, while others are harmful. Harmful bacteria feed on the sugar you consume and create acids. These acids attack and damage your tooth enamel, the protective, shiny outer layer of your teeth. Wondering how sugar affects your teeth?
Acids create a bacterial infection that can lead to caries and holes in teeth. If left untreated, caries can progress leading to potential tooth loss and pain.
As acids attack your teeth, your mouth is constantly reversing the damage by a natural process. Your mouth is in a constant state of demineralization, where acids extract minerals from your tooth enamel. The natural remineralization process restores and strengthens your teeth. Your saliva plays a crucial role in this process. Because it contains essential minerals such as phosphate and calcium, which perform the natural restoration of your teeth.
Fluoride also helps repair damaged and weak enamel. If you eat a lot of starch and sweets every day, the remineralization process can only do so much to prevent the effect of sugar on your teeth. It is very important to limit the amount of sugar you consume.
How sugar causes tooth decay
Regardless of age, the causes of tooth decay are the same and decay occurs when plaque bacteria feed on the sugar you ingest in your diet. Most people know that consuming too much sugar can lead to tooth decay. Wondering how that happens? The whole chain of events takes place in your mouth after you enjoy the sweet treat.
When you consume sugar, it immediately begins to interact with plaque bacteria to produce acid. The acid then slowly dissolves your enamel, creating cavities in your teeth, making the acid the culprit for tooth decay, not sugar.
Sugar changes the acidity in the mouth
How sugar affects your teeth? The two destructive types of bacteria found in the mouth are Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Both of these bacteria feed on sugar and form plaque. Plaque is a sticky substance that dentists clean from your teeth. If plaque stays on your teeth and you don’t rinse it off by brushing, it will become acidic and bite off the enamel on your teeth.
Sweet drinks
Drinking sugary drinks can have an even more devastating effect on your teeth than eating sugary foods. In addition to sugar intake, many beverages like soda have their own acidity which is harmful to your teeth.
Drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup are especially harmful.
What are the sweetest foods and drinks?
Some of the foods and beverages high in sugar include:
- soft and energy drinks (19%)
- fruit and vegetable juices (13%)
- confectionery products (8.7%)
- cakes and muffins (8.7%)
- alcoholic drinks (4.9%)
No matter how healthy your food is and how much you strive for a healthy diet, oral hygiene is very important. Brushing and flossing will reduce plaque, remove harmful substances that accumulate in your mouth. You also need to clean up any food that stays in your mouth no matter how healthy it is. This can help reduce the risk of tooth decay and other problems. Dentists recommend:
- flossing once a day to remove food left on the teeth as well as bacteria between the teeth,
- brush your teeth twice a day preferably with fluoride toothpaste,
- drink lots of water during the day,
- do not smoke or drink alcohol,
- go to the dentist regularly for routine checkups.
Your mouth is full of bacteria. Many of these bacteria are beneficial, while others are harmful. Harmful bacteria feed on the sugar you consume and create acids. These acids attack and damage your tooth enamel, the protective, shiny outer layer of your teeth. Wondering how sugar affects your teeth?
Acids create a bacterial infection that can lead to caries and holes in teeth. If left untreated, caries can progress leading to potential tooth loss and pain.
As acids attack your teeth, your mouth is constantly reversing the damage by a natural process. Your mouth is in a constant state of demineralization, where acids extract minerals from your tooth enamel. The natural remineralization process restores and strengthens your teeth. Your saliva plays a crucial role in this process. Because it contains essential minerals such as phosphate and calcium, which perform the natural restoration of your teeth.
Fluoride also helps repair damaged and weak enamel. If you eat a lot of starch and sweets every day, the remineralization process can only do so much to prevent the effect of sugar on your teeth. It is very important to limit the amount of sugar you consume.
How sugar causes tooth decay
Regardless of age, the causes of tooth decay are the same and decay occurs when plaque bacteria feed on the sugar you ingest in your diet. Most people know that consuming too much sugar can lead to tooth decay. Wondering how that happens? The whole chain of events takes place in your mouth after you enjoy the sweet treat.
When you consume sugar, it immediately begins to interact with plaque bacteria to produce acid. The acid then slowly dissolves your enamel, creating cavities in your teeth, making the acid the culprit for tooth decay, not sugar.
Sugar changes the acidity in the mouth
How sugar affects your teeth? The two destructive types of bacteria found in the mouth are Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Both of these bacteria feed on sugar and form plaque. Plaque is a sticky substance that dentists clean from your teeth. If plaque stays on your teeth and you don’t rinse it off by brushing, it will become acidic and bite off the enamel on your teeth.
Sweet drinks
Drinking sugary drinks can have an even more devastating effect on your teeth than eating sugary foods. In addition to sugar intake, many beverages like soda have their own acidity which is harmful to your teeth.
Drinks containing high-fructose corn syrup are especially harmful.
What are the sweetest foods and drinks?
Some of the foods and beverages high in sugar include:
- soft and energy drinks (19%)
- fruit and vegetable juices (13%)
- confectionery products (8.7%)
- cakes and muffins (8.7%)
- alcoholic drinks (4.9%)
No matter how healthy your food is and how much you strive for a healthy diet, oral hygiene is very important. Brushing and flossing will reduce plaque, remove harmful substances that accumulate in your mouth. You also need to clean up any food that stays in your mouth no matter how healthy it is. This can help reduce the risk of tooth decay and other problems. Dentists recommend:
- flossing once a day to remove food left on the teeth as well as bacteria between the teeth,
- brush your teeth twice a day preferably with fluoride toothpaste,
- drink lots of water during the day,
- do not smoke or drink alcohol,
- go to the dentist regularly for routine checkups.