Practical steps to solve the sweet tooth dilemma

February 1, 2019

Sugar is an important consideration to the diet. Diabetes and other diseases are associated with increasing sugar consumption among other risk factors. Moreover, having a sweet tooth may also wreak havoc to one’s dental health.

Heavy consumption of added/free sugars easily cause tooth decay such as fruit juices that have both added and intrinsic sugars. This is also true for sugar-containing condiments like honey and syrup.

Drink soft drinks in moderation. Avoid drinking straight from the bottle or can and use a straw instead. Direct exposure to soft drinks and acidic food strip away the calcium and softens the surface enamel of teeth.

The daily sugar intake should not exceed eight teaspoons – around 30g – as recommend by the World Health Organization (WHO) and NHS. Keep track of how much sugar you consume and always opt to drink water, which is by far the healthiest choice and does not affect teeth.

You can limit yourself to four “sugar hits” daily. Simple carbohydrates like sugar in biscuits, tea or coffee, and other snacks like crisps, are feeding the cavity-causing bacteria in-between teeth. A way to cut down would be to stop putting sugar in hot drinks and limiting snacking.

Teeth are most vulnerable to decay at night as the body produces less saliva, the teeth’s natural defense against cavity-causing pathogens and microbes. Be mindful not to over brush in the day, but always brush your teeth before bed, and don’t eat or drink anything except water afterwards.