Could you be facing an additional threat to your teeth whenever you drink or eat foods that contain high amounts of sugar? Some experts believe that this popular ingredient is even more damaging to the health of your mouth than initially thought, due to the way that your body deals with it at the moment of consumption and shortly after that. If you love packaged fruit juices, energy boosts or sports beverages, you could be asking for trouble, and you may face the prospect of more dental work if you're not careful. Why is this ingredient so much trouble?

Round One

When you first consume any food or drink that contains artificial sugar, it immediately begins to attack the surface of the teeth. The acid within causes gradual erosion which is not immediately evident, but which can nevertheless be detected by your dentist.

Round Two

The additional threat emerges shortly afterwards, whenever you notice a slight burp or belch. When this condition repeats itself, it is known as acid reflux and means that a small amount of acid in the stomach has been pushed back up the throat into the mouth. This acid will once again attack the enamel on each tooth.

Is Cleaning the Answer?

To counteract these problems, you could try to clean your teeth as often as possible, but that's simply not practical in most cases. Furthermore, it doesn't take your body very long to repel the acid levels in the mouth, and they will normalise fairly quickly, even though the damage has already been done at that point.

What to Do

Sugar is present in an enormous number of prepackaged food and drink options these days, as it is used as a sweetener as well as an artificial preservative. You can help yourself by cutting down on products that contain high levels of this additive, but you should be careful not to consume too much fruit either. While the type of sugar in fruit is not as bad because it is more "natural," it can still help to damage the enamel on your teeth, if consumed in too large a quantity.

Affecting Your Smile

Did you know that acid erosion can also affect the overall colour of your teeth? When the enamel wears away, it becomes much thinner and more translucent. The natural colour of the tooth underneath is darker, and the dentine will affect your overall appearance.

One Too Many

If you've just been to the dentist for another tooth extraction, this could be the underlying reason. Try to cut out those sugary drinks and foods from now on, so that you can avoid too many repeat visits. For more information, contact your local family dentist.