How Does Sugar Cause Cavities?

The Bacteria-Sugar Relationship

Cavity-causing bacteria (e.g. Streptococcus mutans) feed on sugar. By doing so, these bacteria release acids. These acids weaken your tooth enamel. Continued weakening of the tooth enamel eventually leads to a cavity. Once a cavity forms, we need to repair the structure with beautifully colour-matched fillings to prevent further decay.

Does Frequency Matter MoreThan Amount?

Yes. Stephan’s Curves show how sugar consumption over the course of a day affects pH levels in the mouth. Low pH means high acidity, which is bad for teeth.

• The Healthy Graph: Consumption of sweets is spaced out. Teeth spend less time in the "danger zone."

• The Less Healthy Graph: Teeth spend more time in the "danger zone." This results in more damage during the day.

Our tongues and saliva clear out junk, but they need time to do so. Frequent snacking keeps your teeth in an "acid bath" all day.

Which Holiday Foods Are the Worst for Teeth?

Not all holiday sweets are created equal. Anything that "sticks" around in the mouth longer is worse for your teeth.

Sticky Sweets

This refers to toffee, caramel, and gummies. They stay stuck to your teeth longer. They serve as fuel for bacteria for a longer period.

Hard Candies

These include candy canes, lollipops, and Jolly Ranchers.

• They stay in your mouth for minutes, not seconds.

• Bacteria feast for longer.

• Teeth stay in the "danger zone."

Limit consumption. Having these once in a while won't cause meaningful harm. Eating half a bag in one sitting asks for trouble.

Cookies, Cake, Shortbread

These are high in sugar and refined carbs. Bacteria love them. It is hard to "just have one." Circling back for a second piece keeps teeth in the "danger zone" longer.

Holiday Drinks (Eggnog, Hot Chocolate, Alcohol)

Eggnog and hot chocolate are tasty but dangerous.

• Sugar content: Some have 30-50g of sugar per serving.

• Sipping time: Hot drinks are consumed slowly, extending acid exposure.

• Alcohol: Wine is acidic. Alcohol is also a diuretic. It dehydrates you and causes dry mouth. Less saliva means less defense against bacteria.

How Does Snacking Affect Oral Health?

The longer the mouth is an acidic environment, the worse off your teeth are. Increased snacking keeps teeth in an "acid bath."

• Critical pH 5.5: If the mouth's pH drops below this point, teeth start to dissolve.

• Regular snacking: Keeps pH below 5.5.

• Dry environments: Heated indoor air and holiday stress reduce saliva flow. This compounds the risk.

How Can I Protect My Teeth During the Holidays?

You don't need to stop eating. You need to change how you eat.

Eat Sweets With Meals

Eating sweets with a meal increases salivary flow. This combats harm-causing bacteria.

• Add high-fiber foods like veggies or quinoa.

• Crunchy foods act as natural cleaners.

• Fruits are better than processed sugars.

Avoid Grazing

Consolidate your snacking. This prevents the "acid bath" effect. Give your mouth time to clear out harmful stuff.

Rinse With Water

Saliva washes away sugar, but water helps. Rinse after eating sweets, red wine, or cider. This reduces acidity and removes debris.

Choose Smart Treats

Sub in smarter treats occasionally. Dark chocolate contains more fiber and less sugar than milk chocolate and washes off teeth easier than sticky toffee.

Limit the Worst Offenders

You've probably gathered so far that the worst offenders are treats that "stick" around for a long time, causing that acidic environment to linger around your teeth. This goes for stick toffee/suckers, and sugary drinks (e.g. hot chocolate) that you'd sip over hours. Surprisingly, crackers and chips can also cause trouble! Bits and pieces can hang around in your mouth, and your saliva is excellent at breaking the starches into simple sugars for bacteria to feast on.

Increase Fluoride Exposure

Now, even in the middle of the year, you should ideally be brushing twice a day and flossing regularly. But it becomes even more important in the holiday season. You wouldn't want to undo all that hard work you put in throughout the year to keep your smile healthy and strong! A valuable addition you can use is a fluoridated mouth rinse. It's not necessary, but it can give you an added layer of protection while you're consuming a few more sweets than normal!

Stay Hydrated!

Keeping up your water intake ensures that your body will produce enough saliva, which is one of your best defense systems against tooth decay. This is doubly important if you consume a little more alcohol than usual (remember, alcohol = diuretic = dry mouth!) or if you usually suffer from dry mouth.

How Does Sugar Affect Children’s Teeth?

Kids Snack More During Holidays

This could be one of those "thanks, Captain Obvious" observations. Kids tend to want to snack a lot in general, but even more so during the holidays. Being at home from school, and having many treats nearby can be quite the combo! One critical consideration - research shows that the enamel of primary teeth ("baby teeth") is thinner than that of adult teeth. With that in mind, it's easy to see how baby teeth are less robust against tooth decay than adult teeth. Our family dentistry team recommends activities and habits you can do at home to limit your child's risk of developing tooth decay (hint: it's not all that different from adult advice!).

Good Practices at Home During the Holidays

• Limit sticky snacks: Just like adults, reducing consumption of the toffees and suckers of the world can reduce risk of tooth decay in kids!

• Encourage water between sweets: This will help rinse sugar off teeth

• Brush before bed: In our opinion, this one is non-negotiable! With the craziness of the holidays, it's easy to see how routines can slip. But brushing before bedtime (and not eating after night time brushing) can drastically reduce the amount of time sweets spend around your children's teeth!

Can Holiday Stress Cause Dental Problems?

It's the holidays! That means you'll have dinner with family and friends, spend more time at home, and enjoy the season of giving. But that also could involve late nights, traveling, and lots of coordination/planning...which can be quite stressful!

Stress and Bruxism: Research has shown that stress is very closely linked with bruxism (aka grinding - here's our article on that). If you consider that your teeth are already battling an acidic environment thanks to holiday sweets, grinding adds another layer of trouble! While it is a stressful time, please try to find time for yourself, anything from yoga, mindfulness meditation, or fun family games!

Fatigue: As well, all that planning and socializing is surely tiring. Fatigue can lead to shortcuts in hygiene. But don't worry, nobody is perfect! Just be sure to return to your routine once the holiday craziness settles down.

When Should I See My Dentist?

Ah yes, this is the all-important question. Teeth run on their own calendar, and if you run into trouble, you'll want to know when you should have a trained set of eyes to check it out! Here are a couple instances where you should see your dentist:

• Signs of early cavities: If your teeth start to become sensitive to sweets, cold, or chewing, it could be a sign there may be some tooth decay going on. Sensitivity to sweets in particular is a tell-tale sign.

• If a tooth chips, you may want to get it checked out! Here's our post on that, where we go into more detail.

• Routine reset: After the holidays, it's important to make sure your routine is back to normal. A cleaning/checkup in the new year can help kick-start that effort.

  
  

Final Takeaways

Life's too short to restrict yourself all the time. The moral of the story here is, you can absolutely enjoy tasty holiday treats with family, and in general just unwind and have a good time during the Christmas season. There are just a few tweaks and things to keep in mind:

• Reduce the frequency of sugar consumption, or enjoy sweets as part of a larger meal

• Make smarter substitutions every now and then: dark chocolate, crunchy fruits/veggies

• Drink lots of water

• Keep up with brushing and flossing

Remember: a little planning lets you enjoy the holidays and protect your smile! And as always, give us a call at Burnewood Dental if you're in our neck of the woods - we'd be happy to see you before, during, or after the holidays and make sure you're wearing your best smile!