You may have heard a dentist tell you or your children about Sugar Bugs and how they attack your teeth and cause cavities? Cavities or “sugar bugs” can be caused by many different things that include sugar or starch like candy, soda, pie, even fruits and vegetables which have natural sugars.
Everyone has natural bacteria in their mouth that can cause plaque. When you eat these sugary items the bacteria in your mouth reacts to the sugars which in turn produces acids in your mouth. These acids then eat away at your tooth and causes cavities. If you have crowding or crooked teeth this allows more tight spaces for the sugar bugs to sneak in and attack and harder for us to clean.
A few ways to avoid letting these sugar bugs turn into cavities is to avoid sugary and starchy foods (or at least eat them less frequently). Its also ideal to brush and floss after every meal however we know that is not always an option. In this case rinsing your mouth out with water (swishing and spitting) can be an alternative. Here at AZ Family & Kid’s Dental, we strive on educating the community starting at a young age about the importance of brushing and flossing after meals, in the morning and at night to avoid those nasty sugar bugs and keeping a healthy happy smile for life. If you or your family do not have a dental home or would like to be seen by our clinic come in to any of our 3 office locations.