Do you have a sweet tooth? Here’s some useful advice!

Tooth-friendly sweets
In the 1970s, the assortment of tooth-friendly sweets was limited to several types of chewing gum. Nowadays, consumers can choose from a variety of different products, including liquorice, boiled sweets, peppermint and ‘chewies’, but also chocolate, sorbets and even vitamins. In 2005, the average Dutch person ate approximately 32 kg of snacks and sweets a year, as revealed by the Dutch Study Centre for Snacks and Confectionery (SSZ). It has long been known that too much sugar can lead to cavities, yet we still find it hard to stop eating snacks and sweets.

Hidden sugars
Sweets are not the only products that contain a lot of sugar; ‘normal’ foods do too, including products that don’t even taste sweet.

• A small box of sweets equals 10 sugar cubes
• A tablespoon of jelly equals 4 sugar cubes
• A glass of orange juice equals 2.5 sugar cubes
• A glass of soft drink equals 7 sugar cubes
• A cup of fruit yoghurt equals 4.5 sugar cubes

Cavities
Cavities are caused by ‘demineralisation’ of the dental enamel, which slowly dissolves, resulting in a cavity. The wrongdoer is Streptococcus mutans, an oral bacterium that feeds itself on sugars from food. When you consume sugar, this bacterium secretes lactic acid, which dissolves the dental enamel. As saliva contains substances that also promote this process, it protects against cavities. However, in case of more than five ‘acid attacks’ in one day, the saliva cannot cope anymore and the chance of cavities increases.

Sweets consumption
Having a snack every now and then is fine, but try to limit the consumption of sweet products to the main meals and eat a maximum of two snacks a day. With this amount, your saliva can still protect your teeth against cavities. You could also choose snacks that contain sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners, as they do not cause cavities.