Trick or Treat: What About My Teeth?

  • Published
  • By By Capt. Michael Rodriguez
  • 509th Medical Operations Squadron
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo --  As Halloween approaches most of the ghosts and goblins are not thinking about the effects of treats and candy on their teeth. Be assured that your dentist is thinking about cavities and the potential harm of too many Halloween sweets.

What causes a cavity to form? If you think the answer is sugar, you're only half right. The bacteria that cause cavities live in our mouths, use the sugar that we eat as an energy source, and form acid as a by-product. The acid they produce causes tooth structure to dissolve, which over time can create a hole in the tooth that the dentist sees as a cavity.

In order for a cavity to form, four basic things are necessary: teeth, bacteria, sugar, and time. Everyone who has teeth is susceptible to getting cavities, though some people are more susceptible than others. We all have numerous bacteria that live in our mouths--on the teeth and gum tissue. Plaque is a sticky film composed of bacteria which can only be removed by brushing and flossing. Every time we ingest any kind of sugar or carbohydrate, there is a change in the environment in our mouths that favors cavity formation. The bacteria consume the sugar products to form acid. Provided that no other sugar source is introduced during that time, the cavity favoring period will end in about 20 minutes.

With continued eating or drinking, the window of cavity formation can be extensively prolonged. Sticky, retentive foods and those foods that slowly dissolve are worse for teeth than foods that melt quickly. Certain foods such as chips, toffee, lollipops, mints, and even raisins or bananas are more likely to cause cavities than chocolates. Consider that just because food is good for your body does not mean that it is good for your teeth.

But why are some people more likely to get cavities than others? The single most important factor in cavity formation is diet, which is intertwined with the time component of the process. The length of time that the sugar or acid is in contact with the teeth is the real danger, not the amount of sugar present.

This is why sipping your favorite drink can be harder on your teeth than you thought. People who sip soda, fruit juice, or even performance drinks are among the highest at risk for cavities due to the constant introduction of sugar and acid into their mouths. In fact, the acid of some of our favorite soft drinks is similar in strength to battery acid. Did you know that even diet drinks can cause cavities because they have such a high content of acid?

Hygiene runs a close second to diet and that's why the dentist advises brushing twice a day. About every twelve hours, plaque builds up to a point where more aggressive bacteria begin to grow, and acid production intensifies. By brushing and flossing regularly, you are keeping the bacteria under control.

One final factor is fluoride exposure. Fluoride can become incorporated into the structure of the tooth, making it more resistant to acid break-down. Fluoride is important during development of teeth but can also be absorbed indefinitely throughout life by using fluoride containing toothpaste and drinking water containing fluoride (usually not found in bottled water).

So what can you do this Halloween to minimize the risk of getting any new cavities? Avoid foods that are sticky and aim to gobble up your sweets in a reasonable amount of time. Make smart snacking choices by eating your treats in one sitting instead of constant munching. If you aren't able to brush afterwards, simply drinking water can help to rinse away sugar and provides fluoride to make teeth stronger. That way, your teeth will have a happy Halloween too!