Ask The Expert: Dentistry
MORE SUGAR. MORE CAVITIES. by Dr. Matt Artho, Owner of Country Lakes Family Dental
M
y son came home from school recently all excited about telling me a joke: “Dad, if Joey has 10 candy bars and eats five of them, what does he have...? Cavities!” As true as it rang in my ears, I’m also not surprised that Joey had 10 candy bars, considering my kids sometimes bring home bags full of candy from school. Now, as a dentist, I may not take candy restriction as serious as the father of Willy Wonka, but I am amazed at the amount of overall sugar exposure our children receive -- not only from school but also holidays, birthday parties, sport events,
and ironically, sometimes even from doctors or dentists at the local fair. With sugar consumption on the rise, as well as increased risks of diabetes and child obesity, here are some reasons why we should combat an excessive “sweet tooth.”
Cavities are the result of sugar, as oral bacteria consume the simple carbohydrates and produce tooth destroying acid as a result. In addition to the amount of consumption, the duration and frequency of exposure to sugar throughout can inhibit the buffers in your saliva to naturally decrease the acidity of your mouth -- further causing decay. The most obvious way to combat sugar consumption is to limit it. This, of course, is easier said than done. Other methods include encouraging children to brush, or at the very least, drink or rinse with water after eating sugar. Like all things, this may require a gradual change in habits but possesses promising future results. So, keep up the good fight and your smile with thank you.
940.455.7645 | CountryLakesDental.com | 74 mcmakin rd., ste. 200 • bartonville, tx 76226
52 | LANTANA LIVING
| February 2020
www.LantanaLiving.com
