Oral Health: Is A Sweet Tooth Something to Flex or Not?

What Is a Sweet Tooth?

It is a term that people use to refer to a liking or affinity for sugary foods. People with sweet tooth prefer sugary foods to savory ones. The preferences are so high that they keep snacking on different foods and drinks with added sugars. Such people cannot resist craving sweets like candy, chocolate, cookies, and cakes.

Is Having a Sweet Tooth Bad?

Ideally, there is nothing wrong with preferring certain foods to others. Therefore, it is not bad to have a sweet tooth. However, you are creating bad oral habits that eventually sabotage your oral health if you are constantly giving in to sugary foods for snacks and meals. The stakes are higher if you have a sweet tooth yet hardly visit your dentist for routine exams and cleanings.

How Can You Satisfy a Sweet Tooth and Maintain Healthy Teeth?

Since having a sweet tooth is not in itself bad, you can find a way to keep enjoying your preferred foods without compromising your dental health. Some tips to help you cater to your sweet tooth while minding your dental health are:

1. Avoid chewing or crushing sweets.
2. Eat sweet foods as desserts instead of snacks. During proper meals, the mouth is quite moist due to saliva. It helps reduce the risk of dental cavities.
3. Opt for cookies, cupcakes, and cakes instead of sweets. These sweet foods have proteins and fats that balance out the sugars in them.
4. Choose your sweets wisely if you must eat them.

What Types of Sweets Are Worst for Your Teeth?

Like a dentist in Queen Creek, AZ, will tell you, some sweets are worse than others regarding sabotaging your teeth’ health. The worst kinds are:

1. Sticky sweets like caramel, jelly beans, and gummy treats – stick on the fissures of your teeth’s chewing surfaces and between your teeth.
2. Sweets you suck for too long – like lollipops or hard candies. They expose your teeth to sugars for a long time, allowing bacteria ample room to start wreaking havoc in your oral cavity.

How Does a Sweet Tooth Affect Your Dental Health?

The truth about our mouths is that they have bacteria. The bacteria in the mouth feed on sugars, producing acid as a by-product. Therefore, the more sugars you eat, the more you feed the bacteria and release acids in your mouth.

The highly acidic environment heightens the risk of oral infections, the most common one being dental cavities. Besides, high acidity promotes an overgrowth of bad bacteria, resulting in other dental issues like gum disease. The more you give in to your cravings for sugary foods, the worse your dental health.

How to Maintain Good Dental Health With A Sweet Tooth

Whether or not you have a sweet tooth, preventive dentistry is the way to maintain excellent oral health. However, patients with a sweet tooth must be more aggressive and intentional with preventive measures to help sustain good oral health. Some tips for sustaining your dental health with a sweet tooth are:

1. Visit your dentist regularly – routine dental checkups allow your dentist to ensure your cravings are not undermining your dental health.

2. Substitute added sugars for natural ones. Taking fruits like mangoes and watermelons can be your choice of a snack instead of chocolate, sodas, or juices.

3. Eat more healthy foods. Although all carbohydrates will release sugars, complex carbohydrates from grains and vegetables are harder for bacteria to digest than from sweets. It will reduce the risk of dental cavities and gum disease.

4. Drink plenty of water – keep sipping water throughout the day. It neutralizes the acidity in your mouth.

5. Keep your mouth clean – at Alexander Family Dental, we recommend patients brush after every meal if they have a sweet tooth. Do not allow the sugars to settle in your mouth long enough for bacteria to start releasing acids.

6. Use fluoride toothpaste daily to brush your teeth and have additional fluoride treatment done routinely by your dentist in Queen Creek, AZ.

Summary

Ultimately, what you eat and drink directly impacts your dental health. Therefore, balance your meals by incorporating healthy foods as you enjoy sugary foods every once in a while to cater to your sweet tooth.