Two Dentists' Perspective on Sugar

 

Going to the dentist’s office as a kid always evoked one fear, “Do I have a cavity?”.  Kids always worried about cavities because the dentist had to fix the cavity and that could be unpleasant at best.  Many kids know that sugar and cavities are connected but many do not know why this is and how sugar affects oral health.  To uncover the truths about sugar and oral health I turned to the people who know teeth best, dentists.

 

The subjects of my interview today are two dentists who have their own dental practice, Dr. Craig Holman and Dr. Amy Holman.  Their stance on sugar according to Dr. Amy Holman was , “I like sugar, it just wreaks havoc on your teeth. So, you can enjoy sugar, but in moderation.”  This is what they recommend to their patients and people in general.  When asked why sugar is so harmful she explained that “sugar is easily broken down into an acid, so they [the bacteria in your mouth] take that sugar and turn the simple sugar into an acid which erodes the teeth and leads to tooth decay.”  After this explanation of why sugar is so harmful to teeth I asked them about any relationships or trends they see between teens/kids and over consumption of sugar.  The response I received was at first surprising to me but as they explained it made quite a bit of sense.  When asked if they see many kids with sugar problems Dr. Amy Holman responded, “Not until they go to college”.  She explained to me that when kids leave for college and they no longer have anyone providing food for them that many college kids gravitate towards high sugar foods and soda.  She added on by saying that another group of people she sees with multiple sugar problems are kids who drink high amounts of milk.  She explained that there is an actual term used to refer to this situation called, “baby bottle tooth decay”.My final question for them was, “Why is managing one’s sugar intake important?”.  They responded by saying that managing sugar intake, “helps you to avoid tooth decay which leads to cavities.”   Their final remarks were to avoid soda and energy drinks because that is where most people consume the most sugar, and finally, Dr. Craig Holman echoed the idea of “enjoy sugar, but only in moderation”.

 

After my Interview with the two Dr. Holmans, I conducted some research of my own and verified everything they said.  Every source I found agreed about the reasons why sugar is harmful to teeth.  I found articles that also verified the link between college kids and tooth decay, as well as interesting articles about tooth decay.  After I verified all the information gathered from the interview, I gathered more info about teeth and sugar’s strained relationship, some of the interesting tidbits include:

 

• It is best to eat sugar with large meals because your mouth produces more saliva with a big meal, and the saliva helps wash away the sugar from your teeth

• teeth do not regenerate or grow back parts that have decayed

• soda pop can have up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per bottle

• Diet and “sugar-free “soda still contain acid that damages enamel

• “The USDA’s [U.S. Dental Association] Dietary Guidelines encourage consumers to limit intake of beverages and foods high in added sugars that may crowd out other healthy foods from their daily diet”

 

 

To conclude, the relationship between dental health and sugar consumption has been clearly defined by modern science.  The bacteria that produce acid harmful to our teeth thrive on sugar and produce more acid thus accelerating tooth decay.  We get this sugar from soda, which is the primary source of most teenager’s and young adult’s sugar.  To avoid too many trips to the dentist’s office it is vital to manage sugar intake.  Managing sugar intake is as important as other dental hygiene such as a toothbrush.  Save your teeth and your money by watching the amount of sugar you put in your mouth, because sugar greatly contributes to dental health and cavities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited:

Holman, Amy, and Craig Holman. "Sugar Intake." Personal interview. 04 May 2014.

 

"sugar." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 16 May. 2014.

 

American Dental Association. Sugar and Tooth Decay. N.p.: American Dental Association, 2002. Print.

Bonine, Fredric. "Sugar Addiction, Rampant Caries, and Tooth Lost." Dr. Bonine's Office. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.