How to reduce sugar damage to your teeth.
We all love a treat but sugar is anything but sweet when it comes to your mouth. We spoke to our dental team about the best ways to reduce the damage from sugar and they came up with the following tips:
1. Minimize frequency.
It’s never about the quantity with sugar it’s all about the frequency. Dentist Zahra Fernandes comments “If you are going to have a treat it is far better to have a dessert than eat a bag of sweets throughout the day”
2. Keep your coffee sugar free!
Dentist Ana Polidoro says clients can be very unaware of the sugar in teas coffees and fizzy drinks. “If you have sugar in your coffee you will likely be sipping this for long periods of time causing prolonged sugar exposure. It’s far better to have tea or coffee without sugar. Try it skipping the sugar for a few weeks and see if you can give it up.”
3. Alcohol in moderation
All of our dental team agree alcohol in moderation is key for a healthy mouth.
Alcohol, such as wine, contains both sugar and is highly acidic. In an ideal world, we would all limit consumption. Enjoying alcoholic beverages in moderation shouldn’t cause dental damage but too much alcohol can lead to dental damage.
4. Good oral hygiene
Hygienist Charlotte Wong says while it’s best to avoid too much sugar in your diet for a number of reasons if you have good oral hygiene you are far less prone to cavities and dental problems. For the best possible oral hygiene use an electric toothbrush twice a day for at least two minutes. You also have to floss! As long as you floss on a daily basis you are helping reduce the risk of gum disease. If you floss daily you can avoid so many problems. Finally, come and see your hygienist regularly!
5. Mouthwash
Dental Nurse Andrea says if you are going to treat yourself to chocolate then you can minimize damage afterwards by rinsing your mouth out. Ask your dentist or hygienist to recommend the right mouthwash as some are more effective than others. We recommend using an alcohol-free version.
6. Use a straw
If you are drinking very sweet drinks you can help to reduce contact with your teeth by using a straw.
In order to keep teeth healthy and looking their best, we recommend you visit us at Smilepod regularly for your dental check-up and regular teeth cleanings,
