The Relationship between Sugar and Tooth Sensitivity/Tooth Decay.

Feeding is an inevitable thing, every day, we consume food, and drink and the mouth is one of the busiest regions of the body, this means extra care and extra attention needs to be properly paid to the mouth every day. The teeth are one of the most sensitive components of the mouth, everything we take into the mouth has an effect on the teeth.

The mouth is made up of different types of bacteria, some of these bacteria are beneficial to the mouth while others are harmful. These harmful bacteria produce acid in the mouth whenever the bacteria have an encounter and they digest sugar, the acids present in the mouth, remove minerals from the teeth enamel (the tooth enamel is the shiny, protective, outer layer of the tooth), the process of acid remover from the tooth enamel is called demineralization 1

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The minerals present in the saliva, like phosphate and calcium, then the addition of fluoride paste and water, make it possible for the enamel to repair itself, the enamel repairs itself by replacing lost minerals during an acid attack, this way, the teeth are strengthened, but when the acid attack on the teeth becomes a repeated cycle, there is a case of mineral loss in the enamel, which would eventually destroy the enamel, forming a cavity around the region.

Let me explain what a cavity is, it is a hole in the tooth created by tooth decay, tooth decay occurs as a result of harmful bacteria digesting the sugar in foods and in the process, producing acids. If the cavity is left untreated, there is a high chance of having it spread into the deeper regions of the teeth which would cause pain and tooth loss eventually.

The good news is that remineralization is possible. Remineralization can be achieved by; cutting down on sugar intake, stimulating the flow of saliva by consuming high-fiber vegetables and fruits as well as chewing sugarless gum, this process helps to properly bathe the teeth in quality minerals. 2

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The obvious signs of tooth decay are;

• Pain while chewing.
• Toothache.
• Teeth sensitivity to sweet, hot, or even cold items.

We might be wondering what the relationship between the mouth and sugar really is, let's take a quick tour on that.

The business of sugar with the mouth.

Sugar is responsible for the attraction of bad bacteria into the mouth. There are majorly two destructive bacteria present in the mouth; streptococcus mutans and streptococcus sorbrinus. These bacteria function by feeding on the sugar in the mouth and dental plaque.[Dental plaque is that colorless, sticky observed film on the teeth surface]. The plaque in the mouth can be washed away through brushing of the teeth, but if it remains even after brushing, the region of the mouth becomes more acidic and this way, cavities will begin to form around the region.1

To avoid sugar is a great impossibility for a great number of average people, the best way to protect our teeth even while consuming sugary content is to make sure that we brush our teeth properly with a fluoride toothpaste after consuming sugary products, the consumption of healthy foods will also strengthen the teeth. 2

It is also almost impossible to brush our teeth every time we consume a sugary product, especially when we consider the fact that, most food items we consume contain sugar, we can simply chew sugar-free gums, these sugar-free gums would pick up pieces of food particles present in the teeth, in place of gum, cheese is another great neutralizer for some of the produced acidic contents.

Take charge of your meals, and consider your teeth before you consume any snack, drink, or even food, reduction in the amount of sugar consumed would do the teeth a lot of good. 3

Dental caris popularly known as tooth decay has been researched to be the most common non-communicable disease that exists when the disease becomes intense, it is usually very expensive to operate, in most cases when a tooth is affected by caries, it creates intense pain in the patient affecting the quality of normal life until eventually, the teeth is extracted.

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Dental care is not based on age or race, it can happen to anyone either children or adults, but majorly, children and adolescents are at risk of developing the disease, the major cause of dental caris is the level of sugar consumption.
The disease, just like a lot more, usually affects the poor and low-income category more and this is basically because of the absence of access to proper health facilities.

The faster we realize the presence of gum disease, the faster it would be for us to treat it, some warning signs of gum disease include;

• Tooth sensitivity.
• When gums begin to pull away from the teeth.
• The presence of tooth sensitivity.
• Tooth pain is also a factor.
• Bleeding gum especially when hard food is consumed.
• Bad breath regardless of continued brushing. 3

Teeth sensitivity is also another very common teeth problem, tooth sensitivity varies amongst people, those who have thinner enamel are going to have a more sensitive teeth issue than others who do not belong to that category. There are things we do that can wear down the enamel; Using a hard toothbrush on the teeth, grinding the teeth at night, and regular consumption of acidic beverages and food.

Realizing the signs of tooth sensitivity early enough will aid in fast treatment and eventually a quick solution.

• When you notice stains on your tooth surface.
• Pain while biting or chewing,
• When the sensitive tooth is only localized to one point.

Sensitivity in the teeth can be temporal, caused after dental work such as teeth bleaching, fillings, or crowns. In a case like this one, sensitivity is reduced to the tooth that received dental attention and it would naturally go away after some days.

Tooth sensitivity can be treated by using over-the-counter medication if the situation is a mild one this time around.
Choosing a specific toothpaste, particularly for sensitive teeth will really help a lot, these sets of kinds of toothpaste would be free from every form of irritating ingredients and they would also help to block discomfort from moving to the nerve of the tooth.

Soft toothbrushes and brushing in a more soft way would really help reduce teeth sensitivity. These simple home treatments usually take the constant application in order for them to work, there should be a noticed improvement within one week, if there is no improvement afterward, then you should speak to a dentist. 4

For further studies.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-sugar-destroys-teeth#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/cavities/what-are-the-effects-of-sugar-on-teeth

https://mentonfamilydental.com/why-sugar-is-bad-for-your-teeth/#:~:text=It's%20when%20there's%20an%20excess,to%20grow%20and%20reproduce%20rapidly

https://www.healthline.com/health/sensitive-teeth#Whats-the-outlook-for-tooth-sensitivity?

Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my podcast channel Here and I also have a youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, do not forget to subscribe and share with friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from members of the community and do well to keep them coming.