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Dental Impacts of Sugary Foods Intake

Posted on 8/8/2022 by Nancy Shiba DDS

As a child, you must have been warned against taking too many sugary foods such as candies and chocolate. Nonetheless, you once warned your kids to avoid the same food as a parent. But why?
Ideally, your mouth is full of both beneficial ones and harmful. The bacteria in the mouth feed on the food particles and sugary contents left after one eats food or drinks beverages. Once satisfied, the bacteria produce acidic contents in the mouth as by-products which accumulate around the teeth and over the gumline forming a sticky solution, the plaque. The acids and the plaque are responsible for the infection of tooth decay altogether, which poses detrimental implications to the teeth.

Sugar and Tooth Decay

Tooth decay cases are commonly reported among kids and adolescent children. As soon as one starts eating, so does plaque formation; hence when left unattended leads to the formation of tooth decay.

Our dentists have established that people who tend to consume alcohol and cigars are at high risk of developing tooth decay in the course of their lives. Alcohol consumption results to dry mouth, which effectively offers fertile ground for the formation of plaque-causing tooth decay. Additionally, alcohol contains sugars that have similar effects on the teeth and inhibits saliva production in the mouth. Saliva production enhances flushing away food particles and bacteria from the mouth; hence its inhabitance means you are at high risk of contracting tooth decay.

How Does the Mouth Fight Tooth Decay?

Your mouth tends to frequently fight the invasion of bacteria-causing tooth decay in various ways. For starters, remineralization is the standard method whereby minerals from the saliva such as calcium and phosphates strengthen the enamel, hindering implications by the bacteria. We recommend chewing sugarless gums to initiate massive saliva production in the mouth, flush away food remnants, and strengthen the enamel.

For more information on the impacts of sugary foods on your dental condition, please pay a visit to our practices. Contact us to book an appointment today.

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Dental Blog • Nancy Shiba, DDS
Nancy Shiba, DDS, 125 N Jackson Ave, Suite 103, San Jose, CA 95116-1914 \ (669) 306-7669 \ nancyshibadds.com \ 10/8/2024