Cocktail Party Dentistry
Maggie leaned forward, looked me right in the eye and said "Marvin, could you please tell me why I have so many cavities?" Her blue eyes widened slightly and she said "Please Marvin, tell me all about it and don't spare me the details". I must have looked confused for a second as I needed to adjust my “at-a-party” thinking to my dentist thinking. I fleetingly thought of saying “Poor Oral Hygiene” but as I didn’t know Maggie that well yet I thought she might feel I was getting too personal. Instead I blurted out “Sweets, it’s sweets!” Her blue eyes widened slightly and she said “Please Marvin, tell me all about it and don’t spare me the details.” And so I began.
“Most cavities, as well as gum disease, bad breath and dull looking teeth are caused by plaque. Plaque is formed by bacteria from sugar. Plaque is a sticky carbohydrate that sticks to all surfaces of the teeth above and below the gum, and for some people on the tongue . Bacteria then colonize plaque and form about 500 different products from sugar.
Cavities, gum disease, bad breath and dull-looking teeth are caused by the following products that the bacteria living in plaque make from sugar .
· ACIDS cause cavities by dissolving calcium from the tooth
· ENZYMES AND ENDOTOXINS cause gum infection: Bleeding gums, bone loss
· VOLATILE SULFUR COMPOUNDS causes bad breath. These compounds in includes hydrogen sulfide, the odor of rotten eggs; ammonia, and mercaptains At this point Maggie interrupted.
“When you say sugar, do you mean table sugar only or are honey and brown sugar included in your indictment?” (Maggie is an attorney.)
“Sadly, sweet Maggie, all sugars stand condemned. Sucrose is made up of a molecule of glucose and a molecule of fructose that are joined together. Honey is also made up of glucose and fructose but these molecules are not joined together . Because they are smaller than sucrose molecules they are more destructive. Brown sugar is sucrose with impurities that give it the brown color. Studies show that every time you put sugar in your mouth destructive bacterial endproducts form for 30 minutes to an hour. That means if you have sugar 10 times during a day up to 5 hours ofthese products would be forming.
“Must I forget all my lovely sweets then?” asked Maggie.” Sensing it was now the right time, I said “With really good once-a-day home care…” and it was here that Maggie stopped me with her hand on my arm. “You are getting very personal...come, let’s get some wine at the bar.”
Sugar, by any other name, is still SUGAR.
All below are sugar in one form or another. Any prepared food can contain sugar. It is important to read labels when shopping
Sucrose, glucose, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar, invert sugar, confectioner’s sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, beet sugar, date sugar, rice sugars, dextrin, lactose, dextrose, malt, dextran, barley malt, fructose, hexitol, mannitol, sorbitol, corn sweeteners, corn starch, and sucanat.
Additional note: Excessive use of highly acidic carbonated sodas can soften tooth enamel and lead to erosion (tooth wear) over time.
Marvin Mansky, DDS Upper West Side Preventive and Cosmetic Dentist New York
