The effect of sugar on teeth and tooth enamel. Is it possible to avoid problems?

Glucose is the main source of energy for the human body. It can enter the body as part of sweets or as part of more complex carbohydrates. The latter option does not have a negative effect on the oral cavity. But fast carbohydrates (or, more simply, sugar) destroy teeth and lead to the development of many diseases.

Almost all people are aware that sweets are harmful to teeth. But not everyone knows why sugar is harmful to teeth

How does sugar affect teeth and is it possible to avoid the harmful effects?

Every dentist, when asked whether sugar is harmful to teeth, will answer in the affirmative.
The main reason is that simple carbohydrates begin to break down in the oral cavity, and acidity changes accordingly. This leads to the creation of optimal conditions for pathogenic bacteria, they begin to multiply and damage the enamel. Spots form, and then cavities - this is how caries develops. In addition, the acidic environment itself has a destructive effect on tooth enamel, which makes it easier for bacteria to enter the tissue. Not every person is ready to completely give up sweets, but it is recommended to limit the amount. You can replace your usual sweets with less harmful products:

honey (contains not only sugar, but also many elements beneficial to the body);
fruits and berries (sweet, but rich in vitamins, macro and microelements);
dried fruits (contain the same set of useful components as fresh fruits, but are suitable for lovers of richer sweet tastes);
nuts (some of the varieties have a sweetish taste, while being a source of protein);
desserts with fructose (the taste is no different from ordinary sweets, but does not cause such devastating damage to the enamel).

What to replace unhealthy sweets with

Not all sweets are harmful to the body. Some treats can be beneficial. Dentists advise replacing harmful toffees and caramels with the following products:

Honey _ It is a natural product rich in glucose and fructose. However, honey also contains a large amount of useful substances, vitamins, amino acids and minerals.
Nuts . Most nuts combined with honey can replace any candy. Unlike confectionery sweets, nuts saturate the body with protein.
Berries and fruits . Healthy alternatives to candy include pears, apples, raspberries or cherries.
Dairy desserts . Natural yogurt with berries or cottage cheese with fruits also have a sweet taste. At the same time, dairy products are rich in vitamins and calcium.

Before you eat another piece of delicacy, you need to remember that it can not only hit your figure, but also harm your smile.

Variants of the effects of sweets on teeth

There are two main directions of the negative effect of sugar on the dental apparatus:

Glucose, entering the human body, must be digested and absorbed. In order for the process to occur correctly, a number of helping elements are required: calcium and B vitamins. These components are contained in the teeth, therefore, with regular consumption of sweets, they are gradually washed out, which is why the teeth become more fragile and are destroyed.
After brushing your teeth, within half an hour a huge number of bacteria appear on the surface. Glucose is the best nutrient medium for almost all types of bacterial agents, so their active growth begins. An excessive increase in the number of bacteria, even those that are normally found in the oral cavity, leads to the development of inflammatory processes.

Chocolate and candies made from it

Traditionally, many people call chocolates harmful, and the ban on sweets due to harm to teeth is often associated with them. In fact, chocolate is absolutely harmless to teeth. It enters the oral cavity, is immediately chewed and swallowed, that is, it does not stay there for too long. In addition, there are advantages to eating it: it stimulates salivation, saliva, in turn, washes away the remnants of chocolate and promotes the mineralization of teeth. And the last thing is inhibition of caries development. That's why we even call chocolate healthy and say yes to it.

What foods are the most dangerous?

Dentists have compiled a list of foods that are the worst for teeth. The first three places are occupied by the following well-known delicacies:

Taffy . Stretchy candies stick to teeth, get clogged in gaps and remain in the oral cavity for a long time. Therefore, the active growth of bacteria increases, as a result of which the enamel is destroyed faster and more severely.
Caramel . The destructive effect of caramels is due to the fact that the sweetness consists of almost 60% pure sugar. When absorbed in the mouth, it affects the dentition for a long time and manages to activate the growth of pathogenic microorganisms.
Chocolate . About 50% of pure sugar is found in chocolate. However, dark (or bitter) chocolate is much less harmful. In addition, scientists have proven that cocoa beans have a disinfecting effect. But there are few of them in milk and white chocolate, so the harm of sugar outweighs.

Who is to blame - they sorted it out, but what to do?

To summarize the above, sugar harms our body on different levels, sometimes it hides in places where we do not expect to find it.
All we have to do is check product labels for the amount of carbohydrates - now many manufacturers indicate not only the total amount of carbohydrates, but also the percentage of sugar, be interested in the composition of dishes in a restaurant, and do not eat or buy food from establishments with a dubious reputation.

A complete refusal of sugar is hardly possible (and let’s be honest, it’s hardly necessary), but reasonable consumption will allow you to be healthy and stress-resistant, and will also help keep your smile beautiful. To the list of posts

How to reduce the effect of sugar on your teeth?

When consuming sweets, you can use a number of recommendations to reduce the harmful effects on enamel. These include:

Drink enough fluids (to ensure that bacteria and sugar residues are washed away).
Eating sweets after the main meal (when a large amount of saliva remains in the mouth).
Refusal of frequent snacks, especially sweets (the more often you eat, the more bacteria will form, especially if you eat sweet foods).
Daily careful personal hygiene (you need to not just brush your teeth twice a day, but also follow all the rules: brush for at least 2 minutes, don’t forget about your tongue, choose the right brush, toothpaste, use dental floss, mouthwash).

To avoid negative consequences, do not forget about preventive visits to the dentist, especially if you like to eat sweets.

So why is sugar harmful?

Snacking on candy will cause a quick spike in blood glucose, the brain will receive a signal that you are full and what we call “killing your appetite” will occur.
We no longer want to eat, which means the body will not receive enough nutrients. With a constant supply of such fast fuel, insulin levels are very high. But it is insulin that stores fat from the food consumed and does not allow “its” fat to be consumed. Especially from the waist and hips.

Constantly high levels of insulin can lead to the development of metabolic syndrome - deposition of visceral fat (large belly like an apron, a significant increase in waist circumference due to fat deposition on internal organs), hyperinsulinemia (sustained increase in insulin levels), arterial hypertension (persistent increase in blood pressure ).

Currently, more and more attention is being paid to the study of microflora – microbiota – of the intestine. Its correct composition ensures our health in all respects, since the microbiota is an important part of our immunity.

With increased sugar consumption, the number of yeast-like fungi in the intestines increases and the number of beneficial bacteria that protect us decreases. Outwardly, this is manifested by a slight bloating of the abdomen. The situation when “I pump up my abs, pump and pump, but my stomach doesn’t go away completely” is exactly about this.

This often occurs among milk lovers or, in the context of modern society, lovers of coffee drinks with milk. Milk contains milk sugar - lactose - a disaccharide that breaks down into glucose and galactose. This may be one of the reasons for the development of irritable bowel syndrome. By the way, this is why yeast-free baking is now becoming a widespread new trend in healthy food.

We are what we eat. It seems that everything is so, but consuming sweets does not make us “charming souls”; far from it, glucose swings add irritability and even years. Sugar leads to an unstable psycho-emotional state, along with coffee. The resulting large dose of glucose gives a burst of energy, a surge of strength, even euphoria in the especially impressionable, which ends in a decline.

This is why sugar is not recommended for children under three years of age - their nervous system cannot cope with such emotional changes. This is where the “legs grow” in the “well, just one more piece of candy” hysterics, and this is why eating stress brings us seeming relief. There is a proven connection between sugar consumption and common mental disorders

Sugar leads to thrombosis - with a constant increase in blood glucose levels, the vascular wall becomes more permeable, which leads to lipids sticking to it and platelets sticking together.

Sugar leads to aging. If heart problems and blood clots in blood vessels belong to the generally accepted and seemingly abstract horror stories about how harmful life is, then the loss of elasticity of cartilage, youthful skin and the acquisition of the so-called sugar face (dehydrated, dull skin, many fine wrinkles, the appearance of loose tissue - sagging nasolabial folds, for example) is already very close and is an urgent matter.

It's all about glycation - simply put, excess glucose breaks down proteins. Including collagen, which ensures the strength and elasticity of connective tissue. And skin too. Flabby, gray skin is the first signal from the body asking you to reduce your sugar intake.

Sugar really ruins your teeth. Indirectly. Tooth enamel is destroyed as a result of the activity of bacteria that feed on simple carbohydrates.

That's why the old custom of eating an apple before bed instead of peeling it doesn't work. With apples, like other fruits, there is an important nuance: you can brush your teeth after them only after 20 minutes so that the effect of fruit acids on the enamel disappears completely. “My teeth are cramping” - precisely due to the action of fruit acids: if you brush your teeth immediately after eating fruit, then there is a high risk of scratching the “softened” enamel and strengthening the effect.

Is it even possible to eat sweets?

Today, turnkey dental treatment is becoming more and more popular. The dentist plans and carries out a range of therapeutic interventions. An integrated approach is used, suitable techniques and high-quality materials are selected, and the patient’s health condition is taken into account. Clients are given nutritional advice. It is important to understand that glucose is the main source of energy, without which the brain, all systems, and organs of the human body cannot function. But not all sugar is healthy! The serving size plays an important role. You need to limit sugars in your diet. You don't have to give up dessert sweets. Nutritionists believe that they often need to be replaced with the following products:

Natural honey, which contains both glucose, fructose, and fruit amino acids, mineral salts, essential oils.
Berries, fruits that contain fiber and vitamins. Bananas, dates, grapes, currants, and cherries are consumed frozen or raw.
Sweetish nuts that contain a lot of lysine, a healthy protein.
Dessert cottage cheese and yoghurts are not inferior to delicacies.

Chocolate products with a sugar content exceeding 45% are harmful. Today, the dangers and benefits of chocolate for teeth are often discussed. Nutritionists recommend dark chocolate, for the preparation of which a lot of cocoa beans are used. Scientists have proven that they have beneficial properties. Beans disinfect the oral cavity, stopping the growth of pathogenic microbes. You can consume up to 20 grams of dark chocolate per day. To minimize the harm from sweets, you need to follow these rules:

Replace sticky dessert with soft sweets. They do not injure teeth and are easily removed with saliva. It could be marshmallows, marshmallows, fruit jelly.
Don't enjoy treats for long. Eat a small portion at a time. Chewing candy all day is harmful; eating cookies, honey, and jam every hour is unacceptable.
After a portion of sweets, you need to clean your mouth and rinse your mouth to remove harmful residues.

Start eating healthy today. Replenish your supply of nutrients by including natural foods in your diet.