Hidden sugars that could be damaging your teeth

Illume is interested to see research has found that seven out of ten packaged foods contain added sugar with soft drinks, cakes, pies, ice cream, pastries and processed meats being among the worst offenders.

We have been saying for many years that sugar really is bad for your teeth and a major cause of decay and we are pleased that people are being made more aware of where ‘hidden’ sugars are.

Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health say the findings underscore the need for food labels, including the health star rating (HSR) system, to distinguish between total sugar and added sugar.

Tim Rumney, owner and clinical director at Illume, says: “While many people will know sugar is to be found in foods like doughnuts, chocolate, cake and cookies, some will still be surprised to find it in large quantities in cereal, muesli bars, readymade pasta sauces and take away curries.

“This research found that seven out of ten packaged foods sold on Australian supermarket shelves contain added sugar, all of which isn’t clearly declared on the front of packaging. Similar results have been found by the British Heart Foundation with the most surprising being that a 120g slice of carrot cake contains 10.5 teaspoons of sugar.

“Plaque on teeth feed on sugar and produce acids which dissolve the enamel of the tooth to create cavities. These acids are produced very quickly and can begin to damage teeth within minutes.

“It takes 30 to 45 minutes for the mouth to return to normal so frequent consumption creates more acid attacks. The key message is therefore that reducing the frequency and amount of sugar will reduce decay.

“So I would urge everyone to read food labels carefully and make sure they are not unwittingly consuming more sugar than they thought,” he added.