The Dental Blog

Does Sugar Cause Cavities? Yes and No.

Before you break open that box of goodies… Sugar by itself does not cause cavities. But there is more to it. Please read on because it is possible to enjoy sugary treats without ruining your teeth.

Germs in your mouth eat the sugar you eat and produce quantities of acid. It is actually the acid that eats holes in your teeth and makes cavities.

Sugar + Germs = Acid.  Acid is actually what makes cavities.

Softer teeth are more susceptible to acids to form cavities. If you want to enjoy some treats and minimize decay, you must reduce the quantity of acids and increase the hardness of teeth.

Eat sugar less often. Every time you eat a sugar containing food or snack the bacteria will make some acid and more acid = more decay. Frequency is most important. One little candy per hour is 10 X more decay producing than one big piece of cake, even though the cake has much more total sugar.[/fusion_li_item][fusion_li_item icon=””]Reduce the germs with brushing and especially flossing daily. If you get rid of enough germs, even when you do eat the sugar, there will be less acid produced.

Use fluorides to help strengthen teeth. For children under 12, drink at least 2 cups of fluoridated water daily or use fluoride tablets prescribed by the dentist. For adults use prescription strength brush on fluoride products prescribed by the dentist. Daily fluoride will make your teeth stronger and more resistant to acids.

Most important is to keep your dental check-ups close together to catch cavities while they are still small.