Is a sweet tooth good or bad?

Having a sweet tooth in itself is not bad. Occasional consumption of sweets is acceptable. But many a times, people tend to overeat especially during festivities, weddings. Constantly having excess sugar is bad, as  our mouths are naturally filled with bacteria, and these bacteria eat sugar. When you give in to your sweet tooth, you are feeding the bacteria present in your mouth.

Can you eat sweets and not get cavities?

You probably know sugar leads to cavities. The sugar feeds the bacteria in your mouth, and as the bacteria multiply, they produce acids that eat away all your tooth enamel. Thus, limiting sugar consumption definitely leads to decreased cavities. But this doesn’t mean that one should not have sugar at all. One should follow a lifestyle so can enjoy everything in moderation, including sweets. Following a proper regime goes a long way in ensuring a great oral health. In addition to brushing twice a day and flossing once a day, one should do vigorous rinsing after eating anything .

This ensures flushing out off all food remnants. For people having spaces between teeth, food gets stuck between teeth. It is advisable to use a water flosser if you face similar issue. The water flosser washes away all food remnants that get stuck between teeth. If these are not removed on time, they can lead to development of cavities and bone related problems in future. Thus, a simple use of a water flosser goes a long way in preventing such problems in future.

How do you know if your tooth has a cavity?

1. Toothache , spontaneous pain or pain that occur without any apparent cause.
2. Tooth sensitivity.
3. Mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something.
4. Visible holes or pits in your teeth.
5. Brown, black or white staining on any surface of a tooth.
6. Pain when you bite

Early small cavities appear as brownish or whitish chalky surface on teeth. At this stage, you do not get any symptoms. As the cavities progresses, it includes the deeper layers of teeth, and starts giving slight symptoms like sensitivity to cold, food getting stuck between teeth. Visiting a dentist on a regular basis can help identify such cavities and restore the decayed tooth with fillings. If one is not able to visit a dentist even till this stage, the cavity progresses into a deeper one. Once it involves the nerve of the tooth, one needs to do a root canal treatment. So, something that started with a small cavity, becomes so deep, that a mere filling does not help. Thus, in addition to following a proper food  habits and oral hygiene regime, regular dental visits are encouraged

There are many foods which can help you to fight sugar cravings.

Some people eat junk food to avoid sugar. But junk food also harms your body There are many  healthy food items, which can help to decrease sugar cravings. With the help of these food items, you can avoid sugar while also managing your sugar cravings in a healthy manner

1. Fruits: Fruit is naturally sweet,  but also contains lots of beneficial plant compounds and fibers. Thus consuming fruits  allows  you to have something sweet and at the same time healthy.
2. Berries: Berries are an excellent nutritious choice for controlling  sugar cravings . They taste sweet, but their contain high amount of fiber and they are actually are really low in sugar.
   Berries also have strong  antioxidant and anti- inflammatory properties. Regular consumption of berries is believed to reduce risk of chronic disease like heart disease and diabetes.
3. Sugar free chewing gum or mints: Chewing  gum also can be a great way to control your sugar cravings. Chewing gum after your meals is good for your teeth, as it flushes out all food remnants stuck to your teeth with increased salivation.
4. Dates: Dates are highly nutritious and very sweet. They are a great source of fiber, potassium, iron and beneficial plant compounds.
5. Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are nutritious sweet and very filling. They contain mostly carbohydrates, but also fiber and a number of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A and potassium.

Thus, having a sweet tooth doesn’t lead to oral problems. Excess of sweet consumption, not following a proper oral hygiene regime, poor oral eating habits and not visiting a dentist regularly( once in 6 months is ideal for most people) all together lead to oral problems. Thus , its advised to follow good oral hygiene regime, healthy eating habits and regular dental visits to ensure healthy pearly whites !!!