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Sugars are the leading cause of dental caries, one of the most prevalent health problems globally. Interestingly, dental caries is the most widespread noncommunicable disease(NCD). 

Are all sugars harmful to dental health? Well, it depends on how much you take. Excessive sugar consumption and consuming the wrong sugar can be harmful to your dental health. 

There are two types of sugar.

  1. The naturally occurring sugar is found in vegetables and fruits. This sugar is good for your dental and general health if consumed minimally.

 

  1. The artificial type of sugar is found in consumer products like carbonated drinks, processed foods, soda, and confectioneries. Processed sugars can be detrimental to your dental health and your general health.

Oral Bacteria and Sugar

There are two types of destructive bacteria. They are streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. These bacteria metabolize sugar which softens or demineralizes the hard tissue of the teeth to cause tooth decay. 

Oral bacteria feed on sugar to produce acid, which causes dental caries and leads to more serious dental problems. 

The bacteria treat both types of sugar the same way. However, natural sugars have other health advantages that sweeteners don’t possess.

Sugar's Harmful Effects

  • - Frequent snacking on artificial sugar products increases the chances of developing tooth decay. 

  • - Sugary drinks are more dangerous health-wisely than sugary foods. Sugar-sweetened drinks are associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases and many more. 

  • - Sugary drinks with high fructose content are particularly damaging as they contain toxins that strengthen the destructive oral bacteria.

Living With Sugar

Sugar is nearly impossible to eliminate from our daily lives. Even medical professionals do not advise that we do as our bodies need them in certain quantities to perform optimally and for specific functions. 

So, what do you do? The answer is to consume natural sugar mostly and minimize the intake of artificial sweeteners. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Drink more water to stimulate saliva production and rid your mouth of bacteria and food residue. Wash your teeth regularly. And at least thrice a year, visit the dentist Marrickville

Sugary Foods that Cause Tooth Decay

Foods that contain refined sugar like candy, ice cream, potato chips, soda, and carbonated drinks are the most dangerous to dental and general health. Replace artificial sugary products with food items that strengthen the teeth, like nuts, cheese, and green vegetables. Carrots and celery can remove plaque and bacteria from the mouth.

Common Sugar Substitutes

Sugar substitutes contain fewer calories than regular sugars and do not spike blood sugar unlike regular sugar. Only a few of them can cause tooth decay.

Common sugar substitutes are

  • - Xylitol

  • - Stevia

  • - Erythritol 

Sugar is almost inevitable in our daily lives, so removing it from your diet could prove almost impossible. However, you must learn to live without artificial sugar and minimally on natural sugar to live a healthy life.