How Does Soda and Candy Damage the Teeth?

Your mom or dad may have told you while you were growing up that candy and soda will rot your teeth. That’s not entirely true since good dental hygiene and cleaning will be able to prevent tooth decay and major dental health issues, but there is some truth in what your parents told you. Our Fort Lee, NJ cosmetic dentist and the team here want to look at soda and candy, two things that people eat or drink pretty often, and see how they affect the health and beauty of your smile.

One of the issues with soda and candy is the sugar content or sweetener content. If you don’t brush your teeth regularly or well, these sugars can remain trapped between your teeth and cause plaque to form, which can lead to tooth decay, cavities, and worse. Another issue is that stickiness of some kinds of candies may lead to difficulties with cleaning. Taffy, caramel, butterscotch discs, and so on can leave behind a sticky bit of sugar on your teeth that even careful brushing may not be able to remove.

Soda, particularly colas and other colored soft drinks, pose another major issue to your teeth: the possibility of tooth discoloration. Constant exposure to dark colas and those artificial colors may lead to a certain degree of tooth discoloration over time. (The same is true with other beverages, such as red wine, coffee, and tea.)

So what can you do about this? For one, you can limit your intake of candy and soda. You can also brush your teeth after having candy or drinking a soda beverage. If you have teeth that are stained due to years of cola drinking, there is Fort Lee, NJ teeth whitening, which can restore the brightness and color of your smile. For cavities and tooth decay, we have plenty of bonding, filling, and capping options available.

If you would like to learn more about your many options for improved dental health, it is important that you contact our Fort Lee, NJ cosmetic dentistry office to schedule a consultation.