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Q: How does sugar hurt teeth?
A: Sugar consumption in America is ever increasing. It contributes to any number of problems, obesity perhaps the most obvious. Sugary food and drink are also harmful to teeth. Essentially, the sugar turns the plaque that adheres to teeth to an acidic level that will begin to erode enamel. Depending on a variety of factors, the plaque can remain acidic for up to an hour. After this, the plaque will begin to return to neutral and the demineralization of the enamel will start to reverse.
Consuming sugary products at regular intervals can keep your teeth under stress for much of your waking day. So in some cases, how often you consume sugar may in the long run be more significant than the total amount. Some items that you may think are healthy substitutes for sugar, like honey, molasses or corn syrup may actually be worse for you because they are sticky and cling to teeth more easily than refined sugar. Hard candies are particularly damaging because they take a long time to dissolve and keep teeth in a continuing bath of acid. Talk with your dentist about ways to avoid sugar and for suggestions on healthy snacks.
December 21, 2009
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