Why Is Candy Bad for Your Teeth?

Few things have contributed so significantly to tooth decay as candy. Excessive and widespread consumption of sugary, gooey, and sticky treats has been responsible for outright tooth rot, progressive tooth loss, painful infections, gum disease, and more. But why is candy bad for your teeth when it tastes so good? More importantly, is it necessary to never have candy in order to enjoy a healthy, complete, and all-around beautiful smile?

The Battle Between Beneficial Bacteria and Disease-Causing Organisms

The interior of a healthy mouth is hardly bacteria-free. In fact, your mouth needs a diverse range of beneficial bacteria to support digestive activities, fight decay, and more. When these organisms are present in sufficient numbers, they help minimize the likelihood of dental problems by keeping harmful microorganisms in check. This ongoing battle works in your favor when you eat well, brush regularly, and floss often.

Unfortunately, when you eat candy, you’re feeding the wrong team. Harmful, odor-causing, and disease-causing bacteria thrive on candy. In fact, they thrive on almost any type of sugar of simple carbohydrate that readily breaks down into sugar. Sugar selectively feeds the very bacteria that are working to diminish your oral health. Thus, if your goal is to keep your mouth healthy, you want to limit how often you’re feeding the enemies of your teeth.

Sugar Creates Acidic Mouth Conditions

If you’re still asking, “Why is candy bad for your teeth?”, there’s also the fact that candy changes the entire environment of your mouth, albeit temporarily. Not only does candy feed harmful bacteria, but it also creates acidic conditions that gradually undermine the integrity of your tooth enamel through a process known as demineralization. This means that with constant candy consumption, you’ll have energized and significantly more robust bacteria causing decay, and less protection for your tooth structures overall.

Is It Ever Safe to Eat Candy?

You definitely don’t have to go your whole life without ever indulging in a sweet treat in order to avoid cavities, tooth infections, and other oral health issues. However, it is best to limit how often you eat candy. You should also take fast action to clean your mouth as soon as you’re finished sating your sweet tooth. Brush, floss, and rinse your mouth thoroughly. Keep in mind that because candy is often sticky and chewy, it can strongly adhere to the surfaces of your teeth for quite some time. Flushing your mouth with plenty of water helps to this end. Moreover, if you aren’t near your toothbrush after your next candy bar, drinking plenty of water is also a good way to flush out sugary debris.

If you’ve got tooth problems caused by excess candy consumption, we can help. There’s no dental issue that doesn’t have an effective solution. Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you protect and improve your oral health.