I have a sweet tooth, so how do I avoid decay?

Yes it would be easy for me to say “just avoid sugar”.  But in an age of fast food, chocolate thick-shakes and Donut King, how does one do that?

We live with sugar. It’s here and it is  not going away.

Here are my top three tips for preventing tooth decay if you have a sweet tooth.

Tip Number One: ORAL HYGIENE

Brush your teeth twice a day.

Small circles, angled at 45 degrees to your teeth and gently massage your gums while you brush. This mechanically removes any food residue still stuck to your teeth.

Use floss to clean the areas between your teeth. This is important as a toothbrush cannot reach these spots and food can easily get lodged and sit here for days causing bad breath, decay and gum infection.

When using floss make sure you contact the surfaces of your teeth to again mechanically remove bits of food stuck to them.

Tip Number Two: SUBSTITUTION

If you cook your own cakes and biscuits and jams, then try substituting white sugar with things like Xylitol.

This is a natural sugar and many studies have come out recently showing it actually STOPS decay from progressing through your teeth. It doesn’t spike blood sugar or insulin, starves the plaque-producing bacteria in your mouth and feeds friendly microbes in your digestive system.

There are also sugar alternatives out there for bodybuilders and diabetics so have a look at these products and see if they are suitable for you.

Another tip is avoid fruit juices and swap for the raw fruit version. Have an apple instead of slowly sipping on apple juice. Sugary juices are not great for your teeth. 

Tip Number Three: TIMING

Lots of studies have shown it is not necessarily the AMOUNT of sugar you have, but rather how FREQUENTLY you have it.

This is because when you frequently consume sugar throughout the day, you are not giving your saliva enough time to replenish itself and buffer the mouth from the acidity created from consuming the sugar.

So if you are going to have sugary foods and drinks, try and consume them during or after a main meal. Once you have had the sugary meal or drink, then that is it.   Don’t snack on sugary foods all day.

Of course during the course of every day, make sure you are having lots of veggies, protein and water.

I hope you have found this blog helpful.  These 3 tips are simple and pretty easy to follow.

 If you need a caring dentist that won’t make you feel bad about having a sweet tooth, then give us a call at Taree Dental Care on 6550 0960

Related Tags: Dentist in Taree