How Does Sugar Affect Your Teeth?

Many of your mother’s warnings were not founded on good science. Sitting too close to the TV will not damage your eyes, for example, and swimming on a full stomach is no more dangerous than swimming on empty.

But your mom wasn’t completely mistaken about everything. She was telling the honest truth all those times she warned about what candy would do to your teeth – kind of. In fact, sugar alone will not rot your teeth. It’s the bacteria which like sugar that you have to worry about!

Why Is Sugar Bad for Your Teeth?

Just like gasoline alone cannot start a fire, so too is sugar incapable of rotting your teeth on its own. Over half a thousand species of bacteria currently inhabit your mouth, and several of them – including two nasty little germs named S. mutans and S. sobrinus – are especially fond of sugar.

These bacteria’s dietary preferences wouldn’t matter if not for the way they metabolize sugar. When they get plenty of their preferred food source, S. mutans and S. sobrinus produce acids which demineralize the enamel on your teeth. Since tooth enamel’s primary job is to protect your teeth from damage, it’s easy to appreciate just how directly sugar is able to harm your beautiful smile.

Sugar would be even worse for your teeth if not for your body’s natural ability to mitigate its effects. Your saliva contains several minerals, including phosphate and calcium, which help to restore enamel and strengthen teeth following exposure to bacteria’s acidic byproducts.

Unfortunately, the average American now consumes too much sugar for their body’s natural defenses to fully protect them against enamel decay and resultant cavities. So what can you do to protect your teeth from the deleterious effects of sugar?

How to Protect Your Teeth From Sugar

In addition to regular brushing and professional teeth cleaning, your best defense against tooth decay begins with adopting a healthful diet.

Avoid eating foods that are high in sugar. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 24 grams of sugar per day. They do so primarily to help people avoid the adverse health effects of obesity, but adhering to this sugar limit will also help you avoid tooth decay. By restricting your intake of the sweet carbohydrate which fuels bacterial acid production, you preserve the enamel which guards against cavities. The science is quite conclusive: People who eat more sugar have a significantly higher chance of developing cavities.

Avoid drinking beverages that are high in sugar. Many beverages are deceptively high in sugar. A single can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar – 63% more than the maximum daily recommended amount. And it gets worse. One can of Fanta orange soda contains 44 grams of sugar. A venti white chocolate mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks contains 73.8 grams of sugar. A large chocolate shake from McDonald’s contains a whopping 122 grams of sugar!

Don’t fall for the trap of treating fruit juices like a healthier alternative to sugar-added beverages. Just one cup of unsweetened apple juice contains 24 grams of sugar.

Soda isn’t only harmful to your teeth because it contains so much sugar. Even if it did not contain any sugar at all, soda would still be acidic enough to demineralize tooth enamel. Coca-Cola has a pH of 2.4, putting its acidity right on par with pure lemon juice. For contrast, battery acid is only slightly more acidic at 1.0 pH – but pure water is perfectly neutral at 7.0 pH.

Practice good oral hygiene. Brushing twice daily helps a great deal to remove the acidic dental plaque which bacteria gradually deposit on your teeth. You would ideally brush following every meal, and selecting a toothpaste which contains fluoride will help to replenish the minerals which fortify tooth enamel.

Stimulating increased saliva production may also help to prevent tooth decay. Chewing sugar-free gum, sucking on sugar-free candies and simply drinking more water are all safe ways to salivate more.

The American Dental Association recommends receiving a dental checkup every six months. In addition to checking for a wide range of medical conditions, your dental technician will administer a cleaning which removes tartar and acidic dental plaque.

If you live in the greater Logan, Utah area, then we welcome you to schedule an appointment at All About Teeth today. Our team is standing by to thoroughly clean your teeth, repair any cavities before they can do even greater damage to your smile, and give you even more advice to help you avoid sugar’s harmful effects!