Sugar and tooth decay are linked, but how easy is it to avoid?

With the recent news that Dolmio pasta sauces are soon to carry a label that marks them as only being appropriate for occasional consumption (in part due to the amount of sugar they contain) it can seem that sugar is everywhere. We know that sugar and tooth decay are linked, so keeping up a good standard of dental hygiene can seem almost impossible when even savoury products are full of sugar. So what can we do?

One of the most effective way of monitoring your sugar intake is to prepare as much of your food as you can yourself. That way, you’re aware of every teaspoon of sugar going into your meal. You’d be surprised just how many staple meals contain sugar when bought pre-made! By making your own meals, you’ll also get all the added benefits associated with using fresh produce, from vitamins to fibre content.

If you don’t have time to cook every day, then you can still check the labels of the food products that you’re buying. The ‘traffic light’ system is widely used now, so it’s fairly easy to avoid foods that show a red or amber rating for sugar. It’s always worth taking a closer look though, as some ratings are based on less-than-realistic suggested portion sizes.

The easiest way to cut down on sugar and tooth decay, however, is to simply cut down on the foods that are clearly very sugary. That means reducing the amount of desserts and sugary drinks you’re consuming. These are fine as occasional treats, but the more regularly you eat them, the more of a danger to your oral health they become.

If you’d like our friendly team to chat with you about your dental health, please feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll be more than happy to discuss the ways that we can help to make your smile more beautiful.