Unmasking the Sweet Saboteurs: The Hidden Sugars in Your Diet and Their Impact on Dental Health

“Hidden sugars” is a great topic for the dental world. The main concern with hidden sugars and the care of the teeth is the interaction with the dental plaque in the mouth with sugars. That’s because plaque + sugars = dental decay due to the PH of the saliva being more acidic. Unfortunately, the sugar reaction with plaque can lead to tooth decay. Here are a few possible hidden sugars at those summer picnics or your everyday meal planning.

Eight Surprising Sources of Sugars

• Reduced fat peanut butter
• BBQ sauce
• Salad dressings
• Multi-grain cereal
• Sports drinks
• Ketchup
• Baked beans
• Bread

However, soda is the largest source of added sugar! For example, the top #1 sugary soda is Mountain Dew, followed by Mello Yello, Mug Cream Soda, SunKist Fruit Punch, Crush soda, Coca Cola & Pepsi. Sports drinks come in at 20 grams which is the equivalent to 5 teaspoons of sugar. Surprisingly, energy drinks have more sugar than soda or sports drinks.

There is so much information regarding sugars that it is always important to eat or drink everything in moderation. Not only that, but it is better to have added sugar with a meal vs. by itself. Having sugary food by itself can cause more damage to the enamel of the teeth as the PH of the saliva is more acidic.

While it is important to avoid sugars as much as possible, realistically, if you do indulge, you will want to brush at least twice a day, floss daily and add a fluoride rinse to your oral hygiene routine. By removing plaque, sugar and food debris diligently every day, the chances of having a healthy mouth will increase. Another suggestion I would recommend is drinking plenty of water as it will help keep you hydrated during these hot summer days and keep your teeth healthier!

How Your Summer Beverage Choices Compare

The table below illustrates how much sugar is found in a 12-ounce serving of common beverages, which may be smaller than many people consume.