We’ve just had Hallowe’en – sugar-laden ‘treats’ ranging from traditional boiled sweets to chocolate bars and gummy things. And then Bonfire Night – toffee apples, caramel popcorn and perhaps some toasted marshmallows. Now we have the lead-up to winter festivities that may include hot chocolate and even advent calendars that have chocolate ‘treats’ behind each window. And it will all stick to our teeth!
Sweet things we don’t choose
Then there’s the sugar we don’t really know about. When we eat our breakfast cereal, or open a can of soup or drink from a packet of something that could be orange juice, we are most likely taking in sugar we don’t need. We’ve all heard about ‘hidden’ sugars, but how much attention should we pay to them?
The answer is – more than we probably do! Sure, we may notice the ‘no added sugar’ tag, and opt for that one, but does it mean it’s sugar free? Only reading the very small print will help you to find out.
Why do we love sugar?
It could be that our love for sugar is part of our evolutionary inheritance, and that a sweet tooth helped survival. It’s an interesting theory, along with other ideas to do with sugar addiction. The biggest problem, though, is modern-day marketing of consumables that are easy to eat and drink on the move or when we feel we’re too busy to prepare food from scratch. Why peel a potato when you can pop a waffle in the toaster? In our modern world, sugar is an easy fix, it boosts our energy but it is damaging to our health. With media focus on the evils of sugar, and the increase in obesity, we are more and more aware that sugar should only be a ‘treat’, taken in small quantities.
Why don’t dentist’s love sugar?
Well, in the past, probably dentists did love sugar and all things sweet. In the old days when dentists made their living from pulling out rotten teeth, the more sugar people ate the better for business!
Modern dentistry, however, is committed to preventive dentistry. We want teeth to last a life-time and look great. Modern toothpastes, mouth wash, the addition of fluoride to water, and regular flossing, all help to prevent tooth decay.
But also refusing to allow consumer trends to make us sugar addicts will save our teeth, as well as our bodies.