The relationship between sugar and dental health is widely known. However, does sugar truly cause dental cavities? If you are unsure about this relationship, you are not alone. Understanding how consuming sugar can result in cavities can be challenging. But you can always turn to a dentist who specializes in Vista family and cosmetic dentistry for answers.
Sugar poses severe health risks such as diabetes and obesity. But it will not cause the formation of dental cavities on their own. You can have dental cavities when mouth bacteria digest food particles on your teeth. Unfortunately, these bacteria love sugar or carbs. Consuming sugary foods can contribute to the buildup of plaque, which results in cavities over time.
When bad bacteria can digest more carbohydrates debris inside your mouth, they can reproduce and grow in every area of your mouth. If brushing and flossing or drinking water does not wash away these bacteria, they can become plaques.
Why Sticky Foods are Especially Harmful
Sticky foods are sugar-filled foods or carbs that linger on the teeth after you eat. Such foods can include hard candies such as hard caramels, mints, and lollipops. Also, they can include processed starches such as bread, chips, and crackers that can leave residue stuck between your teeth.
Sticky foods offer mouth bacteria with a lasting sour of sugar. When these foods remain in your mouth for a long time, the bacteria can break down the carbs and produce more acid. Such acid results in plaque formation, which can cause dental cavities and tooth decay.
What About Sugary Beverages?
Sugary drinks can be quite enticing for oral bacteria. They coat every surface of your mouth, giving bacteria enough carbs to turn into acid. To fight tooth decay and prevent dental cavities, you must consume lots of water with each meal.
Cavity Prevention
If you tend to love sugary foods or beverages, you should brush and floss your teeth after you consume a sugary snack. Also, consider rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash. Eliminating the food debris from your mouth will make it harder for oral bacteria to release the decay-causing acid.
If you think you have a dental cavity, contact your dentist right away. Waiting to get treated for a cavity can result in the decay getting worse and becoming quite painful quickly. Your dentist can fill your cavity with a tooth-colored dental filling to eliminate the discomfort or sensitivity you may be feeling because of it as well as save your tooth from further damage.
