How to enjoy Easter treats without ruining your teeth…

Most people know that sugar causes tooth decay but did you know that it is not how much sugar we consume that causes decay but how often we consume it?

When we eat food or drinks containing sugar, the bacteria in our mouth turn it into acid.  This acid attacks the tooth by dissolving and softening the tooth surface (enamel).  The acid attack can last up to an hour after eating or drinking sugar, before the natural salts in your saliva is able to neutralise the acid, and allow the tooth surface to remineralise and harden.  However, if you continuously eat foods or drinks containing sugar, your teeth become exposed to this acid for a much longer period, preventing the ability of the saliva to repair the damage.  Over a period of time, repeated damage will become “tooth decay”.

Consuming sugary or acidic foods and drinks between meals will increase the risk of decay, as the teeth come under constant attack and do not have time to recover.  By eliminating sugar from your routine daily diet, and limiting consumption to special occasions, tooth decay will stop.  So, when you’re inundated with chocolate eggs this Easter, be kind to your teeth and eat them all at once!

Wishing you a Happy Easter from the Priory Dental Care team!