Act now to stave off decay!

Sugar addiction is a hot topic in the news and everyone is talking about it. As studies discuss the possibility that sugar could be as addictive as certain illegal drugs, many people have begun to recognise their own dependency on sugar in its many forms.

One thing does seem to be true for many, and that is the fact quitting sugar does cause withdrawal effects like headaches, bad moods and breakouts.

Even if you slowly cut down your sugar, these kinds of effects can happen if the body is dependent on a constant intake of high amounts of sugar.

The Negative Effects Of Sugar

It is widely known that processed sugar has really nasty effects on the body if consumed in high amounts. Sugar can cause:

• Increased weight
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased levels of cholesterol
• Increased risk of diabetes
• Increased risk of cancer
• Increased risk of heart disease

It really is a risky ingredient if too much of it consumed. Campaigns like Jamie Oliver's Sugar Tax campaign are making real progress because governing bodies and authorities are recognising the health implications of too much sugar in the diet. Sugar is also well known for its nasty effects on the teeth and unfortunately high sugar content in drinks and foods have caused an epidemic amongst children, who are having to have their teeth removed at an early age because their teeth are badly affected by sugar.

Sugar Addiction & Your Oral Health

Whether or not sugar addiction is real is one topic, but here at Crown House Dental in Egham we do know that lots of sugar in your diet will have a nasty effect on your teeth. Even if you have the most diligent oral hygiene regime and you avoid drinking and smoking, if you have a diet high in sugar, your teeth will suffer.

You may not know that it isn't the sugar itself that damages your teeth, but what happens after you eat or drink sugar. Your mouth has lots of bacteria inside, many of which are perfectly healthy for the mouth and are actually doing your body good. However, the nasty bacteria in the mouth become powerful when you eat sugar because they feed on it, resulting in them expelling acid which then works to destroy the enamel on your teeth.

Eventually this damage causes a cavity (a hole in the tooth) which if left untreated will lead to much deeper layers of the tooth being destroyed and attacked, which again if left untreated, will lead to the tooth being lost completely. So, the more sugar you eat, the more your nasty mouth bacteria have to eat, and the more acid will be created to harm the teeth. Consuming sugar is basically providing your mouth with the tools to rot your teeth!

Avoiding Sugar For The Sake Of Your Overall Health

Your health will benefit if you cut down the amount of sugar you consume. If you would like help and advice doing this, please take a look at the NHS 'Tips for cutting down on sugar' page. To ensure that your oral health is as good as it can be, and for help recognising the signs of sugar damage on the teeth, why not get get support from your Egham dentist too?

We can advise you on how your teeth are affected by sugars, and diagnose and treat any oral health issues caused by it. Please call your Egham dentist on 01784432641 and one of our friendly team will be more than happy to help.