In recent years, researchers have found that certain food habits matter when it comes to the formation of cavities.
Consuming High-Sugar Snacks
Think before you reach for that sugary snack. Many studies have found that the frequent consumption of sweets and sugary drinks leads to cavities (
,
,
).
Frequent snacking on foods high in sugar increases the amount of time your teeth are exposed to the dissolving effects of various acids, causing tooth decay.
One recent study among school children found that those who snacked on cookies and potato chips were four times more likely to develop cavities than children who did not (
).
Drinking Sugary and Acidic Beverages
The most common source of liquid sugar is
, sports drinks, energy drinks and
.
In addition to sugar, these drinks have high levels of acids that can cause tooth decay.
In a large study in Finland, drinking 1–2 sugar-sweetened beverages a day was linked to a 31% higher risk of cavities (
).
Also, an Australian study in children aged 5–16 found that the number of sugar-sweetened drinks consumed was directly correlated to the number of cavities found (
).
What’s more, one study involving more than 20,000 adults showed that just one occasional sugary drink resulted in a 44% increase in the risk of losing 1–5 teeth, compared to those who did not drink any sugary drinks (
).
This means that drinking a sugary drink more than twice daily nearly triples your risk of losing more than six teeth.
Fortunately, one study found that reducing your
to less than 10% of daily calories decreases your risk of tooth decay (
).
Sipping on Sugary Beverages
If you constantly sip sugary drinks throughout the day, it’s time to rethink that habit.
Research has shown that the way you drink your beverages affects your risk of developing cavities.
One study showed that holding sugar-sweetened beverages in your mouth for a prolonged time or constantly sipping on them increased the risk of cavities (
).
The reason is partly because this exposes your teeth to sugar for a longer time, giving the harmful bacteria more opportunity to do their damage.
Eating Sticky Foods
“Sticky foods” are those that provide long-lasting sources of sugar, such hard candies, breath mints and lollipops. These are also linked to tooth decay.
Because you retain these foods in your mouth for longer, their sugars are gradually released. This gives the harmful bacteria in your mouth plenty of time to digest the sugar and produce more acid.
The end result is prolonged periods of demineralization and shortened periods of remineralization (
).
Even processed, starchy foods such as potato chips, tortilla chips and flavored crackers may linger in your mouth and cause cavities (
,
).
Summary: Certain habits are linked to tooth decay, including snacking on high-sugar foods, drinking sugary or acidic beverages, sipping on sweet drinks and eating sticky foods.