Sugar isn’t sweet.

Technically it is, but when you’ve seen as many smiles destroyed by it as I have, sweet isn’t the word I’d use to describe it.

As Americans, we eat way too much of the stuff. On average, we consume about 150 pounds of refined sugar every year. It’s little wonder, then, that we continue to suffer an obesity epidemic and have some of the highest rates of diabetes in the industrialized world.

While this might not be new information to you, the one thing that often gets lost in all of our modern discussion about our poor national diet and the refined sugar which dominates it is what all of that sugar does to our smiles.

More than that, we neglect to examine the effect of all of that refined sugar on our children’s oral health.

What you might not have known is how your children wind up eating so much refined sugar in the first place. There are the obvious places to look at first: Sodas and candy. While those delicious smile-killers are certainly responsible for their own share of the damage, children actually consume the most refined sugar through processed foods.

Pre-packaged, frozen foods and their “convenient” fast-food friends are the number one way that your kids are getting those refined sugars.

Given enough time, those sugars will wear down the enamel of your children’s teeth, causing cavities. If untreated, then those cavities can lead to infections of the root of the tooth, or a nasty case of gum disease. In a short amount of time, those issues and others can cause significant harm to the smiles of your entire family.

You obviously don’t want to spend your time and your money dealing with an expensive dental emergency, and the pain that is sure to accompany, it if you can avoid it altogether.

The good news is that it is entirely within your power to do something about it before the situations grows worse, and your only options will be costly and painful reactionary surgeries.

You see, your power lies in controlling what your family eats, as well as enforcing strict brushing and flossing routines. By combining those two, you can prevent the harmful effects of refined sugar from ever reaching your household, which will reduce the work I’ll have to do when you bring your little ones to see me!

Guidelines For Reducing Sugar’s Influence On Your Family’s Smile

Sugar seems like it’s everywhere. This can make making the entire prospect of reducing or eliminating its presence in your home an impossible task.

Yet when you consider the alternatives – thousands of dollars in corrective or restorative dentistry services – you know you simply cannot afford to try.

No need to worry, as these tips are simple to pull off. Of course they will take some getting used to, but once you have established them as law of the land, you will notice a marked improvement in your family’s health as well as their smiles.

Without further delay, let’s begin!

  • No more fast food – Strip away the convenience of fast food, and there isn’t much else that makes it worthwhile. Fast foods are packed with refined sugars (not to mention saturated fats and cholesterol), so do your best to limit or completely cut out assembly-line food from your family’s diet.
  • An end to the frozen food section – Although not all frozen foods are created equally, most of them are laden with smile-destroying refined sugars. Try finding less-processed or organic alternatives (yes, they exist!), which will be healthier and not as taxing on tooth enamel.
  • Accept the substitutes – Given the choice between no soft drinks or soft drinks with artificial sweeteners, it’s best to give up the habit completely. However, eliminating them entirely can be a tall order. By switching to a diet version of your favorite soda, you can still get your soda but without all of the refined sugar that cavity-causing bacteria needs.
  • Eliminate the candy crush – Lastly, the elephant in the room (after soda) is candy. It’s okay to give your kids candy, but it’s best when done so sparingly. Candy should be a dessert, not the meal itself.

It might not seem like much, but if you can achieve success with these simple tips, then you will have accomplished a strong defense against the dangers that come with a diet high in refined sugars.

The last step you need to take is to ensure that your family is receiving regular dental checkups and professional cleanings – and that’s where I come in. Even though you can substitute Coca Cola for Diet Coke, there is no substitute for the kind of gentle family dentistry like I can provide.

To schedule your appointment, please call me at 501-982-4447. You can also request an appointment online by clicking here.