As we discussed in our previous blog here on the Dr. Rose Dental site, sugar is bad for your teeth. Sugar acts as a catalyst, feeding the the bacteria in your mouth and accelerating the rate in which they cause tooth decay. In fact, unregulated consumption of sugar is one of the most harmful things you can do for the long term health of your teeth. Today, we are going to go over 6 tips for cutting down on your sugar consumption and improving your oral hygiene.

1. The Aliases of Sugar

Sugar by any other name is still sugar. When you are looking at the ingredients for something you are about to consume, and you are scanning for the word ‘sugar’ to make sure you avoid it, there are several other sugar aliases you should be avoiding as well. These aliases include molasses, maltose, fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, and more! Learning these terms can help you cut down on your hidden sugar consumption.

2. Eat a No-Sugar Breakfast

You have probably heard that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. Well, it is also one of the trickiest. Many breakfast foods, especially cereals, are LOADED with sugar. Cutting down on your early morning sugar consumption can have a huge positive impact on your overall oral hygiene.

3. Think About Your Snacking

We all snack. It’s okay. For most of us, it is a necessary step for getting through the day. Studies have even show that snacking (the right snacking) can actually boost your metabolism and be good for your overall health! By snacking correctly, you can also cut down on your sugar intake. With sugar, frequent consumption can be even more damaging then heavy consumption, so it is particularly important to be careful when it comes to snacking.

We recommend snacking on a handful of health nuts or an equivalent high energy alternative.

4. Look for Added Sugars

Added sugars are a plague here in the United States. You can find added sugars in everything from ketchups and peanut butters to many tomato-based pasta sauces. When you are shopping, make it a habit to inspect labels, look at ingredients. You would be surprised how many things list ‘sugar’ when you never expect them to have sugar. By cutting down on these added sugars, you will drastically cut down on your overall sugar intake.

5. Consider Alcohol Intake

Adults may think they are consuming significantly less sugar than children thanks to the fact that they eat less candy, but that might not necessarily be true. You see, occasionally, adults may partake in an alcoholic beverage or two, and alcohol made from sugar! What’s more, many alcoholic beverages have a ton of added sugar. When you are on a mission to lower your sugar consumption, you are going to have to lower your alcohol consumption as well.

6. Drink Tons of Water

It is important to drink adequate water even if you are not planning on cutting down on your sugar intake. However, water becomes even more important when it comes to regulating the impact of sugar on your poor, overworked teeth. The longer your teeth are exposed to sugar, the more damage they will suffer. Drink water helps wash any sugar you have consumed away, minimizing exposure.