The average person consumes 150 pounds of sugar per year–compared to just 7 ½ pounds consumed on average in the year 1700. That’s 20 times as much! This is an excessive amount of added calories into that human diet. But sugar doesn’t just ruin your waistline; it can be deadly for your teeth. The sugar itself is not as bad for your teeth but the amount of time it hangs out on your teeth is what can cause tooth decay and other health problems. Here at TenderCare Dental, our Doctors strives for perfection and educating you on the harmful effects is important.
Our North Portland Dentist, Robert Thompson, loves tasting good quality food and can recommend some good restaurants. But when it comes to taking care of your teeth, he knows to avoid the sugar at all costs. Here are some of his suggestions on how to quit sugar and smile for good.
The American heart association recommends that women consume no more than 200 calories a day from added sugar and men 150 calories per day. That translates to about six teaspoons for women and a rounded out nine for men. This includes all types of sugar. Sugar creeps into our diet at every corner. It could be hidden in the BBQ sauce or in the fruit added to your yogurt. These steps will help you cut back and eliminate the habit.
Read Labels – Reading the labels of your food will help you sort out good sugars from bad sugar.
Brush Your Teeth After Every Meal – We tell our patients to brush after every meal to avoid sugar stains and bacteria build up. If you are looking for easy ways to brighten your teeth, one of the best ways is to brush your teeth immediately after eating food.
Be Patient- Quitting sugar can take awhile. Give your self-time to adjust to the new routine. When you eliminate sugar from your diet you may have side effects like, headaches, sometimes nausea or even upset stomach. Drink more water to help ease the pain.
One of the benefits of cutting back and removing sugar from your diet is the way you will naturally glow. When you reduce sugar in your diet you usually feel better. Patients reported having a cleaner feeling mouth and they often smiled more. If you want more advice on how to cut back on unhealthy habits visit us and make an appointment today.