Small Horror Story: Do You Know What Are Sugar Drinks Doing To Your Teeth?

We all know the importance of taking care of our dental health. Brushing and flossing daily should be permanent parts of our daily routine. Oral hygiene is crucial but did you know that what you drink and eat is just as important?

Many foods and beverages have a bad effect on your teeth. Consuming them regularly may hinder your overall dental health, even if you have the best oral hygiene routines. The list of these foods and drinks is long but sugary drinks tend to stay at the top. These include soft drinks, juices, energy drinks, and so forth.  

Having too much of them can cause problems like gum disease, tooth decay, cavities or bad breath. A study shows that drinking 1-2 sugar-sweetened beverages a day is linked to a 31% higher risk of cavities.

The Impact of Sugary Drinks to Your Teeth

Sugar is most children’s favorite. Sugary drinks, in particular, have high levels of sugar. When taken in excess this can have a bad impact not only on your oral health but on your overall health as well. In fact, consuming sugary beverages even occasionally can affect your teeth in a negative way.

When consuming such drink, the sugar latches on your teeth. Bacteria that are normally found in your mouth eat the sugar that is left behind. When this happens, the bacteria begin to produce acid. Furthermore, the produced acid can eat away some of the enamel of your teeth.

With a weakened enamel, the chances of developing cavities are way bigger. That’s why sugary drinks are known to be the most common dietary cause of tooth decay.

How to Avoid Damage?

It would be no surprise if we tell you that you should completely avoid sugary beverages if you want to have healthy teeth. However, they are the go-to drinks to most of us. You can still choose other options whenever possible, in order to keep their consumption to a minimum. 

Some drinks that are preferable are of course water or milk. Natural fruit juices are also a way to provide healthy sweetness. Make sure that the fruit content in them is higher than 10% or if it’s possible, prepare them yourself.

However, if your day can’t go without a soda, make sure you rinse with water to flush your mouth and remove any of the sugar that remains. You might also consider purchasing toothpaste and mouthwash that contain fluoride. It helps reduce cavities and strengthen tooth enamel, which can lower the damage caused by sugary drinks a bit.

Quick Tips on How to Deal With the Damage of Sugary Drinks

You know what they say, if you can’t fight it, accept it (still not way too much). Here are some tips on how to consume these sugary drinks, so the cause a bit less damage:

• Avoid drinking them right before bedtime, as the liquid will coat your teeth with sugar and acid and it will stay like that all night.
• A straw can be your new best friend. Using one will help you have a drink without it impacting your teeth that much.
• Don’t skip your dental check-ups. Having a dental cleanup regularly really helps if you’re consuming more sugar.

What To Do If the Damage is Already a Fact?

If you’ve consumed way too much sugary drinks and you’ve started to notice some problems then it’s time for your dentist to take care of it. As we mentioned above dental cleanings are necessary if you consume sugar regularly. 

However, sugary drinks and mostly soft ones can cause stains and coloration of your teeth. Even if you’ve got rid of cavities and you have no dental health problems, you might find that the overall appearance of your smile is not as good as it used to be. 

Damages done by sugary drinks might need the help of cosmetic dentistry. Gallegos Family Dentistry is the place you’d like to visit. There you can find the best cosmetic dentistry services in Albuquerque.

Sugary drinks are truly a horror story to our teeth. However, most of us just can’t avoid them. Try consuming a moderate amount and have your regular dental checkups, so that problems can be identified in their early stages. 

If the damage is already done you might like to turn to cosmetic dentistry to keep the good appearance of your smile. Dr. Gallegos and his team offer the best teeth whitening and dental fillings in Albuquerque. If you have problems with avoiding sugary drinks and this has affected your teeth, just book and appointment and the professionals will take care.