Sugar causes cavities and destroys your teeth? – Everyone is familiar with a fact that sugar is bad for our teeth, but it is not always the case. In fact, when an ancient Greek philosopher named Aristotle, made his first observation that sweet foods like soft figs cause tooth decay, nobody believed him. But with the progression of science, one thing became certain that sugar causes tooth decay.
As a matter of fact, sugar on its own is not the only culprit. Rather, it is the chain of events that takes place after the intake is to blame. We are presenting this article which shows a detailed look at how sugar affects your teeth and as of how you can prevent tooth decay.
How do Cavities develop?
The first question that arises in everyone’s mind is that how do cavities develop with intake of sugar.
According to a study at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NICER), our mouth is a home to hundreds of bacteria and many of them are also beneficial to the oral health.
However, there are many harmful oral bacteria that feed on the sugars we eat and create acids. These acids destroy the tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is the shiny, protective outer layer of the tooth.
Cavities, as the name suggests, are a bacterial infection that is created by acids. These acids are responsible for creating a hole in them. Without proper treatment, cavities start progressing past the enamel and also into the deeper layers of the tooth.
It’s not just acid created by bacteria that cause cavities and tooth decay. Carbonic acid from other pop drinks or sweet snacks starts dissolving over your teeth and causes the same types of enamel damage.
The next question arises, How to stop these acids?
According to studies, the combined forces of flossing and brushing are the best methods that help in removing harmful bacteria and acid from your teeth. It is important to note that plaque starts building up just after few hours you finish eating. They start excretion of enough acid and begin attacking and boring through your tooth enamel.
SUGAR IS AN ATTRACTION TO BAD BACTERIA WHICH LOWERS YOUR MOUTH’S PH
- Sugar is believed to be a magnet for bad bacteria. Streptococcus mutants and Streptococcus sorbrinus are regarded as the destructive bacteria which are present in our mouth.
- Both of these bacteria’s feed on the sugar you consume and form dental plaque on the surface of the teeth as we have discussed earlier in the above section.
- In the worst case, if the plaque is not washed away by brushing then the bacteria present in the mouth converts it to acid. An acidic environment is created inside the mouth.
- When the pH level drops below normal, or we can assume, less than 5.5 then the creation of cavities starts to occur. In this process, small holes will start forming. As the time passes, they will become larger, until hole one large cavity will start appearing.
Prevention
Worry not, as the cavities formed by intake of excessive sugar can be prevented, but how? Here’s how:
- Make a habit to brush your teeth at least twice each day
- With the help of mouthwash, rinse your mouth
- You need to see your dentist at least twice a year for checkups
- Above all, avoid foods high in sugar
Whenever you eat or drink anything containing sugar in it, both bacteria’s inside your mouth start their work to break it down.
So, you need to take good care of your teeth and practice a healthy lifestyle to win the battle against tooth decay.
