Sugar needs no plaque as reminder

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 6

Sugar needs no plaque as reminder

By

DESMOND SMITH,

, 8.D.5., D.D.P.H.

This scientific age of ours works wonders in bringing all sorts of research findings to the public attention. So it is that dental plaque is now almost a household word, and we are told how quickly it builds up, what it consists of, and what marvels such and such a toothpaste or

toothbrush or dental floss will work to eliminate the plague. The thing we are not told about at all is what causes it, and why it gets there anyway.

This has been researched, and the answer which comes up all the time is one which nobody wants to hear — sugar -— that pure, white, sparkling, crystalline problem food. Pure it certainly is, for no food on earth is processed so much before it reaches our table. Unfortunately, that is the very trouble with sugar.

It is so refined that dentists believe many of nature’s protective factors have been removed from it. In its natural form of sugar cane, there is very little damage caused to the teeth.

Everyone has admired the perfect dentition of people living in countries where the cane is freely available. How different it is by the time it reaches us, and how we suffer for it The problem is that the way we live encourages snacks rather than the traditional two or three meals a day, and snacks are nearly always sweet in variety. The more often sweetness gets into the diet, the more likely it is for plaque to get into the act too.

In fact, it has been shown that increasing the frequency of sugar intake actually causes the bacteria involved in decay to

multiply. The reverse process also applies; the less often the sugar, the thinner the plaque present.

Many folk seem to have kept the ideas of childhood when it comes to dental decay. Years ago, they were told that lollies, ice creams and fizzy drinks were bad for teeth, and that is about where their knowledge stopped. Confectionery is no more harmful than biscuits, or desserts; or even marmalade, for that matter. They all contain sugar, and it is sugar which brings plaque. Naturally occurring sugars, such as in honey, will do the job of helping plaque along quite nicely too. Yet we need this carbohydrate as a normal part of our diet. Our bodies require a balanced intake, of which sweet things are an essential part - ,

That does not mean to say we have to choose between healthy bodies and healthy teeth. Hopefully, the two go together.

The secret lies in when we take sweetness into our mouths and when we leave it alone. If sugar is eaten only with our meals, all the body’s protective forces have a chance to work — much more saliva is produced, and this lowers the level of acid produced by the sugar, all the muscles of

tongue, lips and cheeks are flat out working on the food at a meal and have a cleansing action on the teeth.

Finally, the other food in the mouth, like fats and proteins, tends to coat and protect the teeth. So, sweetness at mealtimes only should be the rule, and between meal snacks should always be savoury, such as crackers, cheese, fruit, bread with marmite, cottage cheese, peanut butter, and so on.

If the sugar is controlled, so will the plague be. That does not mean to say that we are off the hook when it comes to using a toothbrush regularly and properly, and investing in a fluoridated paste, and in floss or softwood sticks.

They are all necessary for a healthy mouth, but sugar control certainly starts the ball rolling with plaque control.

Word of Mouth