Fact! Sugar is bad for our teeth. Of course, this comes as no surprise yet sugar-related dental problems are still the most widespread cause of poor oral health and disease. The message is clear and simple though, reducing the amount of sugar which is in our diets will help to reduce the damage it can cause to our teeth, with the added bonus of improving our waistlines along the way.

But even here at Woodcock Lane Dental Care we are sometimes guilty of straying from our own advice and over indulging on sugar. That is why it is important to be smart on sugar so that it does not catch us out.

With sugar-related dental problems being one of the most common complaints when visiting the dentist, here are some top tips to help with our ever-growing addiction to sugar:

1.Sugar by any other name is still sugar

When we think of sugar we probably picture the white stuff you pop in our tea. But there are many ‘hidden’ sugars in lots of things we would not even think of. Sugar can go by many names and recognising them is the first step to avoiding them. There are too many to list but some to look out for are; sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, molasses, hydrolysed starch and corn syrup.

2.Have a smarter breakfast

A certain celebrity chef recently brought attention to the dangerously high levels of sugar in some breakfast cereals, with some shockingly made up of almost a third of sugar. Switching out for a lower sugar cereal or one with no added sugar, and not adding any yourselves, will have a massive impact on your dental health and your health overall. Filling up at breakfast time is also a great way to avoid those unhealthy snacks throughout the day.

3.Snack happy

It’s 10:30 and we get that urge. It’s a little too far away from lunch and we need something to tide us over. Don’t reach for the biscuit barrel, a handful of nuts will provide that energy boost you need. Remember it’s not only about how much sugar we eat when it comes to your teeth it’s also about how often, so try opting for a sugar free alternative whenever possible.

4.Fat free is not trouble free

Many products are marketed as a ‘healthy alternative’, but those claims on the packaging are only telling part of the story. Often products such as fat free yogurts still contain high levels of sugars in the form of fructose or refined sugar. A good tip is to look out for the traffic light system when we’re doing our shopping.

5.Work out some ground rules

Let’s be honest, we don’t need a sweet dessert every day! By setting a set of simple ground rules we can make some simple lifestyle changes which can have a huge effect. Simple things like, not eating in the hour before you go to bed, avoiding adding sugar to anything and making sure we avoid dessert a few times a week soon adds up.

6.Get fresh

When it comes to our teeth fresh whole foods are best, this all comes down to stickiness. By smashing up a banana and strawberry into a smoothie it releases the sugars which then are able to coat the whole tooth, even in the tiny gaps, eating them whole helps to avoid this problem. And when it comes to stickiness dried fruit is a big no-no, this stuff can get right in those gaps giving the sugar a huge amount of time to cause problems.

7.Set a quota

When it comes to our teeth it’s not only about how much sugar you eat it’s how often you have it. It takes an hour for our mouth to return to a neutral state after eating or drinking and every time we have another mouthful that time starts again. Constant grazing can leave us with a toothless grin so if we do need a sugar fix, keep it to mealtimes and give our mouth a break.

8.Hit the hay early

Being a night owl can spell bed news for our mouth and this is all down to routine. People who stay up late are more likely to skip brushing before bed and with the added midnight snacking this could spell disaster for our teeth. We can’t snack when were asleep so getting an early night can have a wonderful effect.

9.The most important meal of the day

How many of us have skipped breakfast and then yearn for that sugary fix to get us through the day? This comes down again to giving our mouths a break to recover, have a filling and nutritious breakfast is the best way to start your day of right.

10.Drinking like a fish

Alcoholic drinks account for 11% of the UK population’s daily intake of added sugar. Whether it’s that pint of cider, glass of prosecco or even a cheeky G&T the sugar in them can have a huge impact on our oral health. Try to moderate the amount of alcoholic drinks you have and also have some water nearby to help wash down your tipple of choice. It helps wash some of the sugar from the mouth and our head will thankyou the next day too.

11.Keep an eye on your coffee order

Our double chocolaty chip crème frappuccino or tiramisu latte with extra whipped cream from our favourite coffee place may be delicious, and fun to say, but let’s be honest we know its laden with sugar. If we do need a caffeine fix and have a sweet tooth try to keep it to meal times, or we could just stick with an Americano or espresso.

Modern dentistry is all about keeping your teeth tip top by preventing issues from gaining a foothold, rather than the Dark Ages when you only went to see a dentist if a problem had become so serious you were almost climbing the walls in pain and needed teeth removed. While Woodcock Lane Dental Care offers convenient emergency dentist services at our Stonehouse practice and a number of solutions like dental implants to restore your smile after you’ve damaged or lost teeth, we certainly don’t want to see our patients in such dire straits if it can all too easily be avoided!

Why It’s So Important to Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Your regular dentist check-up and hygienist clean is vitally important for these reasons:
• Your dentist is trained to spot a range of oral issues, from cavities needing filling before major work is needed, to checking for mouth cancer and monitoring your gum health (infected gums cause a host of health problems in addition to eventually losing their ability to hold your teeth firmly in place, and once they recede they cannot be restored to normal again).
• Your hygienist is also essential because they effectively remove plaque (the harmful bacteria that is generated daily) from places your toothbrush can’t reach. What’s more, plaque hardens into stubborn tartar if left to its own devices, and this needs to be scraped away using a special tool. The process is called scaling and it’s a must if you want healthy teeth into your old age.
Why You May Need to See Your Dentist More Often 
It’s important to bear in mind that each person is unique. The frequency of your recall depends on:
• Genetics
• Diet
• Amount of dental work already in your mouth
• Your level of oral hygiene
You may be used to sailing through your dental check-up and hygienist clean twice a year, but circumstances can change and you may be in need of more frequent visits without realising it.
If you tick any of the following boxes, you run the risk of oral health issues cropping up so you’ll want to visit your dental practice more often to keep your teeth and gums in good health. Let your dentist know if any of these criteria apply to you so they can be extra vigilant and prescribe a treatment program to make sure things don’t get out of hand:
• I smoke;
• I have a family history of gum weakness or disease;
• I’m diabetic;
• I have a sweet tooth and eat lots of sugary foods;
• I’m pregnant;
• I’m on medication that gives me a dry mouth;
• I tend to have a weak immune system;
• My teeth are prone to getting cavities or plaque build-up;
• I don’t have time to brush my teeth thoroughly twice a day for at least two minutes.
Also bear in mind that as we get older our bodies become less robust, meaning we’re not as easily able to fight off harmful bacteria (plaque) and keep infection at bay.

Conclusion
Because we’re each unique and have changing circumstances, it’s important that you never miss your regular check-up – this will allow your dentist and hygienist to flag any issues and prescribe more frequent treatments if needed to nip problems in the bud. And if you fit any of the above risk scenarios, it’s even more important to visit your dentist more often so we can keep you safeguarded.

It’s November and at Woodcock Lane Dental Care we are pleased to be supporting  Mouth Cancer Action Month, a campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and promoting the importance of early detection in ultimately saving lives. Organised by the British Dental Health Foundation, Mouth Cancer Action Month is your chance to make a difference. By knowing the facts around mouth cancer we will have the ability to stop this disease in its tracks. We have put together 21 facts you really need to know and may shock you about mouth cancer, how many do you know?

Oral health is more than just healthy teeth. Your mouth reflects your general health and well being.

These are the 10 most powerful reasons you should brush your teeth:

1. Save money. Prevention is cheaper than cure. Regular daily care of your teeth and gums will prevent problems in the future and leave you with lower dental bills.

2. Fresh Breath. Your mouth will start to smell if you do not clean it regularly. Clean your mouth out at least once per day.

3. Stay kissable. Who wants to kiss someone with food between their teeth or bad breath? Brushing is the cheapest and most effective way to remove food & bacteria.

4. Prevent gum disease. Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums and the first stage of gum disease) is caused by the plaque build-up around your teeth, leading to swollen gums and teeth that bleed when you brush them. Plaque is an accumulation of food and bacteria which appears in everyone’s mouth.

5. Reduce your chance of a heart attack or stroke. Bacteria from your mouth can make its way into your bloodstream and increase you chance of a heart attack or stroke.

6. Prevent or minimise Diabetes. Any gum disease can make it harder to control your blood glucose. The relationship between serious gum disease and diabetes is two-way. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to serious gum disease, but serious gum disease may have the potential to affect blood glucose control and contribute to the progression of diabetes.

7. Have a healthy baby. Gum disease has been shown to increase the chance of premature birth and low birth weight. It can also be one of the many causes of delayed conception and impotence. So get your mouth and gums healthy first.

8. Prevent Dementia. Poor oral health increases your risk of developing dementia by a third.

9. Toothpaste on your brush is the best way to apply fluoride and other desensitizers. Fluoride in toothpastes becomes part of a tooth’s surface, protecting the enamel from the acid released by plaque.

10. Remove stains. There are mild abrasives in toothpaste that remove debris and surface stains. Examples include calcium carbonate, dehydrated silica gels, hydrated aluminium oxides, magnesium carbonate, phosphate salts and silicates.

That 2 minutes brush, twice a day can literately save your life. The Dentist, Hygienist and Oral Health Educator at Woodcock Lane can show you the most effective way to brush, give us a call.