The diet of today is the result of a 50-year increase in consumption of the rapidly absorbed sugars—specifically, soft drinks, commercial juices, candy, and easily digested sugar foods such as cakes, cookies, etc. This change has generally gone unnoticed by consumers, until very recently it has been unquestionably assumed that this is “the way this […]
Tag Archives | sugar
Vending Machines: Cavity Dispensers
Vending machines put out all kinds of stuff. But vending machines at work or school can dispense cavities right along with the candy and soda pop that we love so much in afternoon pick-me-ups. So-called soft drinks don’t do teeth any favors. Not even diet soda. That’s because sugar isn’t the real culprit. It’s carbonic […]
Alcohol and Your Health…
Just the Facts There’s so much conflicting information regarding drinking alcohol blasting at us these days. A glass of red wine is good? Is even drinking at all a good idea? It’s a matter of proportion. The facts are these. First, alcohol affects women more than men. Because men tend to be heavier in muscle […]
Fear…It’s All in Your Head
Fear is a learned response, and what can be learned can also be unlearned. We still have a lot to learn about fear, but certain things we do know. Dental fear, for example, is often the result of vicarious learning. Take you, for instance. Even though you’ve never had a tooth removed, you’ve maybe heard […]
Psssssssst—Secret Sugar
Lurks in Every Pantry Your sugar bowl sits on the table, and you lift its lid only to sweeten your morning coffee. You deserve a medal for exemplary nutritional behavior! Are you sure? Most folks eat more of it than they realize—150 pounds per year average. That’s 6 ounces—3/4 of a cup—every day. Two-thirds of […]
Can Kissing Cause Cavities?
Sorry to say, it can. In fact, anything involving contact with saliva—a kiss, parents tasting their babies’ food, sharing of tableware and toothbrushes—can transmit decay-causing bacteria. Soon after birth, infants start to get those bacteria that inhabit the mouth and cause cavities. These germs are usually transferred by the babies’ mothers or other family members. […]
Alcohol and Your Teeth
Dentally speaking, is drinking alcohol a good thing or a bad thing for your teeth and gums? As with everything alcohol related, there are positives and negatives. On one hand, a mixer-free shot of vodka is probably less hazardous than caramel candies, which coat the teeth with a sticky goo that practically begs for cavities. […]
Soft Drinks Pack a Hard Punch
Soft drinks are bad for your teeth in more ways than one. There’s sugar, and then there’s acidity. The sugar provides necessary food for the bad bacteria in your mouth. If you’re drinking the national average of two cans of soft drinks a day, you’re giving aid and sustenance to the enemy. Bacteria eat what […]
