Does Eating Too Much Candy and Sweets Really Cause Dental Cavities?

Devouring obscene amounts of candies, baked goods, sodas, and other sugary foods is a bad habit some of us never outgrow from our childhoods. If you notice your little ones overeating sugary foods, as a parent, you may start to worry that these sweet treats may lead to dental problems like tooth decay. In response, you might consider limiting your child’s daily sugar intake. Unfortunately, young children aren’t the only demographic susceptible to cavities. Tooth decay can also occur in adults if they binge on sweets and fail to practice good dental hygiene.

Proper oral hygiene involves brushing your teeth after every meal to clear food residues in your mouth that fester on the teeth and lead to plaque formation. Failure to observe proper dental hygiene can mean frequent visits to the dentist and problems like dental cavities, resulting in stacking dental bills and unpleasant side effects like toothaches and bleeding gums. 

Dental cavities are a common cause of tooth decay. Tooth decay, in turn, can result in the loss of formerly-viable teeth at an early age. Dental cavities are small holes in your teeth that can lead to tooth sensitivity, depending on the hole’s size. To treat these inconveniencing cavities, look for a reputable, well-reviewed dentist; if you’re in Utah, for example, look for a solid Lehi dentist.

Can overeating candy and sweets cause dental cavities?

Lectures on appropriate sugar intake and warnings against the gummy candies and lollipops that cause cavities were likely a staple of your childhood. Whether you shrugged off this advice or obeyed your parent’s sugar limitations, there’s truth to this sentiment. 

Eating an amount of candy and sweets that exceeds the daily recommended sugar intake can pose a significant risk for dental cavities. However, those chocolate chip cookies and 32-ounce sodas aren’t the only cause of cavities. Healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables can also expose your teeth to sugars that wear away your enamel. Therefore, you’ll want to monitor your consumption of both natural and processed sugars. 

While a fruit smoothie may be inherently good for you, these workout fanatics aren’t exempt from the occasional cavity. However, those who routinely snack on sugar junk foods are more likely to suffer from dental cavities and require frequent visits to a dentist.

Whether you’re already dealing with unexpected tooth pain, or it’s just time for a semi-annual check-up, schedule a routine cleaning appointment with a local dentist to check for cavities and other dental problems. 

Selecting a suitable dentist for you and your family can be a difficult decision. Do you need a traditional dentist or a holistic one? What are the differences between the two? 

When you have a cavity, a traditional dentist will fill the hole and send you on your way. On the other hand, holistic dentists address the cause of your cavities and advise you on how to prevent further dental cavities. Click here for more factors to account for when selecting the right dentist for you.

How does sugar cause dental cavities?

When your diet is composed of sugary foods and drinks, this sugar combines with your saliva to form plaque on your teeth. Bacteria in the mouth feed on the leftover debris to produce acids. Your mouth contains thousands of bacteria that can contribute to dental problems. 

The more sugar and candy you consume, the more sugar will coat your teeth, which will produce more cavity-causing acids. The accumulated acids will then mix with saliva to initiate plaque formation. The more the acids, the more the plaque formed. When plaque builds up on your teeth, you can remove it by brushing your teeth thoroughly and rinsing your mouth out with mouthwash.

Plaque can form on teeth immediately after you eat, not just after consuming sugars and sweets. These bacteria that thrive in your mouth cavity feed on debris from food residues, even vegetable and fruit debris, which is why dentists recommend frequent brushing your teeth after every meal. 

If you don’t practice good dental hygiene, this plaque can erode your enamel. The erosion can expose the blood vessels and nerves in your tooth when it escalates to a level of severity that can cause long-term tooth sensitivity.

Wrap-up 

Dental cavities can be expensive if left untreated for an extended period. Unfilled cavities may even cause tooth loss, which will result in costly dental implants, depending on the number of teeth you’ve lost. 

Fortunately, most insurance companies cover dental procedures, such as dental fillings and tooth replacements. Familiarize yourself with this resource to understand what you should look for when selecting a health insurance plan for you and your family. You don’t want to rush to choose a plan and later discover that the insurance does not cover dental procedures like filling soda-related cavities.