It is common knowledge that too much of the sweet stuff will have a profound effect on your children’s teeth – it will literally make their teeth rot. However, few patients are aware of exactly how that happens.
Many patients are surprised to find out that it is not the sugar itself that does the damage, but rather the chain of events that takes place after you eat that chocolate bar or drink that glass of squash. One of our Denplan dentists, Dr Suril Amin, at Gentle Dental Care surgery in Kent, explains the process and why we should be thinking about cutting quantity as well as frequency when it comes to sugar and our teeth…
The effect of sugar on our teeth
We understand how difficult it is to explain to children why they shouldn’t eat so many sweets and food containing high levels of sugar, but they may be more inclined to listen to your warnings about the effects of sugar on teeth if they understand the continuous tug-of-war taking place inside their mouths.
The bacteria in your mouth feed off the sugars that you eat and drink and in turn, produce acid as a by-product. This acid dissolves the tooth tissue creating holes, which are referred to as cavities. This is the process of tooth decay or caries as dentists call it. Once cavities are formed, it provides bacteria with a place to hide and cling to, allowing them to decay the tooth further if it’s not treated.
Limiting your sugar intake is very important for overall oral health, however, contrary to popular belief, it’s not really the amount of sugar that should be our focus – it’s the frequency you consume them. To put it simply, let us imagine we have two people – Jane and Peter. Jane has two chocolate bars a day and eats them in one go, whereas Peter likes to nibble on two chocolate bars throughout the day. In this scenario, who do you think will have a much higher risk of getting tooth decay?
The answer is actually Peter. Why? Well, it all comes back to the bacterial acid production mentioned earlier. When you consume sugary foods, the bacteria will produce acid, and this causes decay. Your mouth normally reacts by producing saliva which will help in two ways. Firstly, it washes away the acid and secondly, it neutralises it as well (this process takes around 30 minutes). So, if Jane has two chocolate bars in one sitting, then she will get one decaying attack in the whole day, whereas if Peter nibbles on chocolate ten times a day then he will have 5 hours of decaying attacks.
So, to sum up – try to limit the number of times your children have sugary food/drinks per week. Each time they have a sip of squash or a sweetie from the packet, their teeth will experience a decaying attack by acids and the frenzy for your mouth to produce enough saliva to try to neutralise it will start all over again.
Does that mean fruit is bad for teeth?
The type of sugar in fruits is fructose and it is not as cariogenic (decaying) as sucrose, which is contained in chocolate, fizzy drinks etc. In addition, as it’s contained in a whole form, protected by its cell membrane, the sugar is not as freely available for bacteria to feed on – your body has to break it down (in order to digest) and release these sugars, which is quite a slow process. However, when you make a smoothie or juice, the process will release these sugars and create a concentrated form of them which negates the healthy aspect of eating fruit. So, opt for fruit in its natural form rather than plugging in the juicer.
Remember that a good oral health routine is important. Brush for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing will clean between your teeth. During this difficult time, if you experience pain, bleeding, swelling, or have had an accident and need urgent dental care, please contact your dental team.
