Sweet foods are often an easy way to treat or reward ourselves, and if you only have a little bit of sugar, then you may imagine it can’t do too much damage to your waistline, but its impact on dental health can be greater.
Sugar can cause cavities in Newcastle, but understanding its impact on your teeth can help you manage this issue more effectively.
How Sugar Causes Tooth Decay
When you have something sweet, some leftover particles inevitably remain on your teeth. These particles serve as a valuable source of fuel for bacteria found in dental plaque.
These areas thrive on the leftovers, producing acid as a byproduct. The acid then erodes your tooth enamel, removing essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus, making it softer and more susceptible to damage.
Once acid erosion eats through your tooth enamel, the acids and bacteria can penetrate the dentin underneath, which is much softer and more quickly damaged. Eventually, repeated exposure to these acids will cause a cavity to form.
Every time you eat something sweet or starchy, your mouth becomes more acidic for at least half an hour to an hour afterwards. The more frequently you snack on sweet foods, the longer your teeth are exposed to acid and the greater the damage.
Hidden sugars in food exacerbate the problem. Many foods that seem healthy, such as granola bars and fruit leather, are packed with sugar, which is why reading the labels is crucial.
Saliva and Its Role in Protecting Your Teeth
Saliva plays a critical role in protecting your tooth enamel. After you eat something, your mouth produces more saliva, which helps to wash away harmful bacteria and reduce acidity levels. It also helps to remineralize softened tooth enamel, re-depositing some of the minerals removed back into the enamel.
However, saliva can’t undo all the damage to your teeth. Some people experience difficulties producing enough saliva, particularly if they take certain medications and have a condition known as dry mouth, also referred to as xerostomia, in Clarington.
Reducing the Impact of Sugar on Your Teeth
At West Bowmanville Family Dental, we recognize that it is unrealistic to expect people to eliminate sugar from their diets completely. Luckily, there are some strategies you can use to help protect your teeth.
- Don’t Snack Frequently
Try to avoid snacking between meals, especially on sugary foods. If you want to snack, choose foods like sugar-free yogurt, natural fruits and veggies and cheese.
- Stay Well Hydrated
Ensure you drink enough water, especially after meals. It can be useful to swish your mouth with water to remove loose food particles and help reduce acidity levels more quickly.
- Wait Half an Hour before Brushing Your Teeth
Some people want to brush their teeth immediately after eating something sweet, but it’s better to wait at least half an hour so acidity levels can start to normalize. It also allows time for your tooth enamel to become harder, making it less easily damaged by brushing.
- Use Fluoride Toothpaste
When brushing your teeth, use a good quality fluoride toothpaste that has preferably received the seal of approval from the Canadian Dental Association. After brushing, spit out the excess, but don’t rinse your mouth. This will allow a thin film of fluoride toothpaste to remain coating your teeth, offering a bit more protection.
- Get Regular Dental Checkups and Hygiene Appointments
Ensure you visit us regularly for dental checkups and hygiene appointments in Courtice. During your dental checkups, we can monitor your tooth enamel for any signs of small lesions and soft spots. It allows us to detect any small cavities and to mend them quickly, helping to preserve more of your healthy tooth structure.
Hygiene appointments are essential because they allow us to remove plaque and tartar buildup, which contain the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay.
