Rethink your Drink
Sugary Drinks & Oral Health
Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB’s) are the leading cause of dental cavities. It includes flavored drinks, milks, soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks. SSB’s have a damaging impact on diverse populations health, they contribute to tooth decay, tooth erosion and can lead to serious health issues.
Hence, it important to limit SSB’s and choose water for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
Reduce Sugar Consumption
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate (like fructose, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, dextrose, molasses, raw sugar, invert sugar, corn sweeteners, cane syrup, maltodextrin, glucose). These are easily and quickly utilized for energy by the body. These sugars are usually added in beverages and food to increase the flavor or as a preservative.
Some foods and beverages contain natural sugars ex. Fruits, milk etc. It provides energy and also maintains blood sugar levels stable. However, when consuming beverages with added sugars like soft drinks will lead to potential health problems such as tooth decay, poor oral health, gum disease. Additionally, sugar promotes tooth decay. Tooth decay occurs when sugar feeds the bacteria in the mouth and produces acid. The acid attacks the tooth structure and enamel for at least 20 minutes after consuming a sugary drink. The repeated cycles of acid attacks cause mineral loss in the enamel. Overtime, it weakens and destroys the enamel, forming a cavity. The signs of tooth decay include a toothache, pain when chewing and sensitivity to sweet, hot or cold foods and drinks.
How to Calculate the amount of sugar?
Grams of Sugar / 4= Teaspoons of sugar
