Your diet---including what and how often you eat---plays an important role in attaining and maintaining a healthy smile. Candy has long been associated with dental caries (cavities), but your teeth are at risk from more than just candy. Many foods and beverages, particularly those high in added sugar, can set the caries process in motion.
CARING FOR YOUR TEETH AND GUMS
Dental caries is caused by a thin film of bacteria called "plaque" that coats your teeth. When you eat or drink, the plaque bacteria digest any sugar and produce acids that attack your tooth enamel. The stickiness of plaque keeps these acids in contact with the enamel for some time after you have finished eating or drinking. With repeated and prolonged exposure to these acids, your enamel eventually can wear through, resulting in caries.
It is important to remove plaque regularly by brushing your teeth twice daily and cleaning between your teeth with floss or another interdental cleaner once a day. If plaque builds up, it can cause swelling and bleeding of the gingival (gum) tissue. Eventually, the hard and soft tissues that hold your teeth in place can be damaged, and you run the risk of losing teeth.
You should visit your dentist regularly for a complete oral examination and a professional cleaning.
DIET AND YOUR DENTAL HEALTH
Attention to your eating habits can reduce your risk of developing caries. Frequent snacking or sipping on sugar-containing beverages such as soda, juices, sports drinks--even flavored waters--creates an environment for decay because it exposed your teeth repeatedly to acid attacks.
Keeping an eye on the amount of sugar in your diet also can help protect your smile. Most foods contain some sugar. For example, fruits and vegetables contain sugars naturally, while others foods have added sugars. You can minimize the risk of developing caries as a result of consuming sugar by limiting foods with added sugar in your diet.
