Does it matter whether you eat foods with fake sugar or white sugar? Actually, it does. Read on to find out why.
Fake Sugar Can Soften the Dental Enamel Just Like Sugar
The teeth receive a lot of wear during a person’s lifetime. That is why you need to work at keeping them healthy and strong. While drinks or foods with fake sugars or artificial sweeteners may keep a person’s sugar intake low, artificial sweeteners, just like white sugar, can soften the dental enamel. When the enamel softens, it can be easily brushed away, which exposes the secondary layer of the tooth, or the dentin. To keep teeth strong, it is better to limit beverages to water or milk. If you do drink a soda with an artificial sweetener or sugar, make sure you brush your teeth about an hour after you drink it. Don’t brush your teeth too soon after drinking the beverage, as a soda is acidic and brushing can further wear down the enamel.
What about Fake Sugar in Chewing Gum?
Chewing sugar-free gum can actually benefit the teeth if you cannot brush after a meal, as the chewing action increases the flow of saliva and gets rid of the formation of harmful plaque. Some artificial sweeteners are just better than others. For example, Xylitol has been proven to actually prevent dental cavities, and is even added to mouth rinses to prevent cavities. Whether a gum contains Xylitol or not, it still helps rinse away acidic food residue from the surface of teeth, thereby preventing the acid from eating away at the enamel.
Practice Moderation
The best way to prevent cavities is to brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least daily and save a sweet for a special occasion. As long as you don’t overdo it and practice good dental hygiene, you will be okay.
Have you had a professional cleaning lately? If not, now is a good time now to schedule an appointment for a cleaning and exam.
