Sugar is the sociopath of foods, it acts sweet, but it is a poison to your body and teeth! A smile is the most noticeable feature of your personality, you should never compromise on it. A healthy smile comes from healthy teeth. Imagine having to cover your smile or laugh with a hand because you cannot let people see your blackened teeth due to tooth decay! Even the imagination is scary and sad!

Tooth Decay- Things You Should Know You need to stop the rot! As the term describes itself as a nonprofessional, tooth decay eats up the tooth slowly, causing it to rot with pain. If we talk in medical terms, tooth decay is "dental caries,"; a disease of bacterial origin that causes irreversible damage to the tooth. It is a known fact that a tooth has only minimal ability to repair itself. If the tooth decay is not caught at the earliest possible stage, it may penetrate the tooth's deeper tissue layers, causing it to blacken and lead to the tooth's loss.

Now you must be wondering what does tooth decay look like? Someone like me, who lives to smile, can notice the slightest change in teeth. Although, it can be challenging to see the signs of caries, especially tooth decay hiding between the contact points of two teeth or in visually inaccessible areas like beneath the gums. Hence, it is mandatory to go for dental care and routine dental check-ups twice yearly. There are visual and pain indications that you may look out for and detect tooth decay.

If you see any of these on or around your teeth, it is time to visit your dentist! *Brown or black spots *Chipping off the tooth *Mild or sharp pain *Feeling a hollow cavity *Tooth surface becomes rough

Causes of Tooth Decay- Things You Should Avoid Tooth decay is not only painful but aesthetically unappealing as well. Tooth decay is a slow process and can be caused by several factors. *Excessive and repeated sugar intake *Dry mouth *Age factor *Poor brushing habits *Irregular or misaligned teeth *Certain medical conditions and drugs *Sucking on sticky food

It has been reported that sugar is the primary culprit of all the factors leading to tooth decay. But blaming the sugar alone is not fair; other factors and chain of events follow sugar intake and contribute to tooth decay!

Sugar and Tooth Decay - Turning Your Mouth into a Battleground! Teeth cannot heal themselves, unlike other body parts; act to protect them! You all are familiar with the sinister effects of sugar on the body, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart issues. But, do you know sugar also damages the teeth in your mouth? Your mouth, teeth, tongue, saliva, gums, and other soft and hard tissues are also home to numerous bacteria, beneficial and harmful. These bacteria harbor in the dental plaque, a thin, sticky layer that forms on the surface of all teeth.

Many studies carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown a directly proportional link between sugar and tooth decay, regardless of age. You can be 5 or 55; your teeth are prone to decay by sugar. Sugar causes the bacteria, especially the most destructive ones, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, to produce harmful acids in the mouth, causing the pH in the mouth to drop. And if it drops below 5.5, it causes damage first to the superficial layer; enamel, while penetrating to the deeper layers; dentine, cementum, and pulp, later on.

Usually, when the sugar intake is minimal, and once a day, the saliva helps to clear the acid and restores the pH in your mouth, calling for a ceasefire. Excessive and frequent sugar intake, multiple times a day, is terrible for your oral health and overall health. Sugar and teeth do bond well, but not in a good way. When you think you are doing a favor to your kid by giving them a lollipop to suck on or a few candies now and then, you are making the teeth vulnerable to bacteria, the health of the teeth poorer, and dentists richer!

Prevent Tooth Decay- Act Before it is Too Late You do not have to brush all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep. If you have a sweet tooth, we understand that you have cravings to satisfy. What if we say that you can keep tooth decay at bay if you ensure minimal sugar intake? Follow these enlisted ways to keep tooth decay away!

*Watch your diet! I know that sounds so doctor-ish, but it is true. If you want to keep your oral health intact with your body in good shape, it is time for you to take control of what you eat and drink. Maintain a balanced diet with less sugary and acidic foods and beverages.

*Maintain good oral hygiene. Keep your teeth healthy because teeth are always in style. That being said, you can keep a plethora of dental problems away by brushing and flossing with the proper technique.

*Eat in moderation with a cut down on sugar. Maintaining a healthy diet is easier said than done. So, the first step to fight tooth decay is to eat everything in moderation by going a little easy on the sugars. Eliminate sticky food like candies from the dinner table because they are nobody's friend.

*Pay regular visits to the dentist. This way, you will know what is going on inside your mouth.

The Lesser the Sugar, the Healthier the Smile! A healthy smile is the best accessory that you can wear. Just cutting down on sugar with good oral hygiene maintenance, you can save your mouth from the wrath of tooth decay and win the battle against the disease-causing and acid-producing bacteria because the teeth in your head are more valuable than all the diamonds in the world!