When some patients have visited our Spring Hill dental office they end up asking themselves, “How did I get cavities? I don’t even eat sweets!” Many people are surprised to find out that they have cavities even though they lead a healthy lifestyle and have great dental hygiene practices. There are foods that are just as bad as candy for your teeth. You may not even think about them being bad for your teeth when you are eating them.
It is important to understand that there are all different kinds of sugars. Sucrose is the one that is the most well known because it is used in sweet baked foods, candy. It is the sugar normally associated the most often causing plaque and tooth decay. Almost everyone has a bag of white sugar in their cabinets or pantry. However, what most people seem to be less aware or conscious of are the other sugars that are just as harmful to your teeth.
High fructose corn syrup is about half glucose and half fructose. High fructose corn syrup can be found in many processed foods. Even the foods that claim to be health foods or weight loss foods can contain high volumes of high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is even worse for your teeth than common white sugar. High fructose corn syrup is used by many food manufacturers because it is cheaper than traditional sugar. High fructose corn syrup will cause much more drastic fluctuations in your body’s sugar levels. High fructose corn syrup can even pull minerals from your teeth which can make them weaker. Not only is high fructose corn syrup bad for your teeth, but it is also bad for anyone who is looking to lose weight.
Fructose is most commonly found in healthier foods such as fruits. Fruits are a healthy way to give your body its necessary amounts of sugar. Fructose is not as detrimental as sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. Even though fructose is a healthier form of sugar, fruits, and fruit juices have a high acidity level. It is very important to make sure you brush your teeth thoroughly after you have eaten fruits.
While sugars are nasty for your teeth, there are actually other foods that are far worse for your teeth. We will discuss these foods in some of our other articles.
If you would like to find out more about maintaining your dental health you can call us or schedule an appointment any time. You should always visit your local dentist regularly as well. There are protective sealants you can have added to your teeth as well.