Sugar and Spice, Not All Things Nice

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Sugar… ah, honey, honey… what a great song!

But sugar isn’t actually that great.

Yes, your lollies or soda here and there don’t seem so bad – however, constantly exposing your teeth to sugar can become very harmful regardless of the risk of chipping your teeth and causing a dental emergency with those feisty hard lollies.

Exposing your teeth to sugar over a long period will attack, weaken, and eventually destroy the enamel on your teeth, which can put you at risk of tooth decay and tooth cavities.

We have a wide variety of bacteria naturally living in our mouths, both good and bad. The sugar in soda and lollies interferes with the bacteria, which then forms acid. This acid is the problem, which causes dental problems like cavities or tooth erosion – and in the worst cases, tooth decay.

Soda, lollies, and any hidden sugars in food attack the dentin, which then damages our tooth enamel and opens the door for cavities to form. Therefore, it’s not actually the sugar that is damaging your teeth but the bacteria living in your mouth. Hush-hush, don’t tell your children!

But what about fruit?

Yes, we know there are sugary fruits – however, the natural sugars aren’t as aggressive as processed sugars and therefore reduce the risk of tooth decay. The health benefits of fruit outweigh the unwanted effects of the sugar, therefore cutting out fruit completely is not advised but eating it in moderation is. We need to ensure that our children limit their sugar intake as their teeth are still developing, and therefore they are more at risk of damaging their teeth. We’re not saying you can’t enjoy a soda or a few lollies here or there, just keep them limited – and if anything happens contact us immediately.

Here are some tips to avoid sugar tooth decay:

  • If you really must have soda or sweets, please limit them
  • When drinking a soda make sure to drink it through a straw to keep those bacteria and sugars from having a battle and damaging your teeth in the process.
  • Please also avoid brushing your teeth straight after having soda or lollies as this can damage the enamel. Rather, drink some water to flush out your mouth from the sugary residue.

And more importantly, some tips to follow good oral hygiene:

  • Brush your teeth twice a day.
  • Yes, we all hate flossing, but it is so important especially for our gums.
  • Drink enough water
  • Visit Currambine Dental for your regular dental visits.

Eat and drink responsibly. This is the one occasion we hope to not see you too soon!

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