Experts have named the best ways to protect teeth from sweets

Sugar begins to affect tooth enamel almost immediately after it enters the mouth. Bacteria use incoming sugars to grow and secrete acids, which can damage the mineral layer of the enamel within a minute. This was reported on December 2 in the journal Medical Xpress.

As the researchers noted, in the first seconds after a sweet meal, microbes convert sugar into energy, increasing the acidity of the oral cavity to a level at which the surface of the teeth begins to dissolve. The body reacts by producing saliva, which partially neutralizes the acid and washes away the remaining sugar. There are also bacteria in the oral cavity that compete with cariogenic strains and prevent further enamel destruction.

However, frequent consumption of sweets and drinks with sugar increases the growth of harmful bacteria. They form a dense biofilm layer — plaque, which is poorly removed without mechanical cleaning. This barrier blocks saliva access, which makes acid neutralization difficult. At the same time, harmful bacteria easily survive in an acidic environment, while beneficial ones do not, which accelerates the destruction of enamel up to the formation of caries.

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Experts recommended reducing the amount of sugar consumed and eating sweets during meals, when saliva is released more actively. In addition, experts advised avoiding frequent sweet snacks throughout the day, especially those containing sucrose or glucose-fructose syrup.

In addition, it is important not to forget to brush your teeth regularly, especially after meals, in order to effectively remove plaque. Daily use of dental floss helps to clean hard-to-reach areas where the brush does not reach.

Anastasia Kardakova, a periodontist, dentist and expert at REVIXAN, told Izvestia on November 18 that white plaque, sores, bleeding or tooth mobility may be not just a consequence of poor hygiene, but a sign of illness.

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