Although sugary snacks can taste great, they aren’t very good for your teeth. As your dentist, we strongly urge you to eat candies, cakes, cookies, and other sugary foods sparingly because these types of foods can cause tooth decay.
Sugar’s Effect on You Teeth
In your mouth, invisible germs, or bacteria, are always present. However, some of these bacteria can form a sticky material, called plaque, on the surface of your teeth. When you consume sugar, the bacteria contained in the plaque ingest this substance, and then turn it into acid. This acid is extremely powerful and can even dissolve the hard enamel that is responsible for covering and protecting your teeth. This is how cavities get their start and eventually start to harm your teeth.
Snacking Smart
As your dentist, we recommend avoiding foods with sugar to prevent the development of tooth decay in your mouth. Keep in mind, though, that certain kinds of sweets can inflict more damage to your teeth than others. For example, when you consume gooey or chewy sweets, these foods spend more time on the surface of your teeth and can enhance the development of cavities.
However, as your dentist, we understand that asking you to stay away from sweets entirely or foods that contain large amounts of sugar just isn’t feasible. If you do eat sweets, try to eat them after you consume a main meal, instead of several times a day between meals, and brush your teeth well with a fluoride toothpaste.