The leading cause of decay is carbohydrates (mainly simple sugars) present in a variety of foods. Bacteria in the mouth feed on these carbohydrates and produce acid as a breakdown product, which then slowly eats away at the tooth enamel.
In addition to sweets, sugar is also found in many other foods, such as juice, honey and fruit. Since it is nowadays difficult to avoid sugary foods, we suggest the following:
1. Rather than indulging your sweet tooth several times a day, treat yourself once a day (as a dessert).
This is less harmful to teeth.
2. All fruit juices, including natural ones, contain sugar. Even low levels of natural sugar acid can harm our teeth.
3. We advise against brushing your teeth immediately after consuming highly acidic foods such as soft drinks or wine, as the acid eats away at the enamel and immediate brushing causes even more damage.
4. A beautiful smile is also spoiled by discoloured teeth, which are caused by drinks with artificial and natural colouring and smoking.