Mind over matter – why can’t we ditch the sugar?
UncategorisedPosted by: Dental Design 25th October 2023
Despite a bounty of evidence joining the existing literature about the negative impact of sugar, we as a population cannot get enough of it. Helping the nation cut down on sugar is not a dental-specific obligation, rather one that requires effort from numerous sectors. Nonetheless, the dental team are tasked with protecting the nation’s oral health, primarily through education and continuous reinforcement. But time and time again, dental teams are seeing patients return to the practice with obvious signs of oral issues. Many, very likely, are caused or exacerbated by the over-consumption of sugary food and drink, and poor oral hygiene maintenance.
Why are we as a nation still obsessed with sugar?
45 reasons to cut back on sugar
A recent umbrella review found ’45 harmful associations’ of significance relating to high dietary sugar consumption.[i] Among them were: 18 endocrine/metabolic outcomes, such as high BMI in children, liver fat accumulation, gout, obesity and diabetes; 10 cardiovascular outcomes, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension in young individuals and cardiovascular disease; and 7 cancer outcomes, such as breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer (although caution is warranted when making this association, as the links are still controversial). There were also links made between sugar consumption and bone mineral density, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).i
Once the researchers had reviewed the 8601 unique articles, they surmised that the consumption of free/added sugars should be reduced to below 25g per day, which equates to around 6 teaspoons. Likewise, beverages sweetened with sugar should be limited to around 200-355ml per week.i This is less than what is recommended by the NHS, whereby no more than 30g of free sugars should be consumed per day.[ii]
The science behind sugar
Our love of sugar certainly isn’t a modern-day phenomenon. In fact, Daniel Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University, said: “Sugar is a deep, deep ancient craving”.[iii] Our ancestors, according to science, would have depended on sugar-rich foods for energy, such as fruit.[iv] It’s believed that a certain mutation occurred within our ancestors that impacted the ability of sugar to be stored in their bodies as fat, thus increasing their survival chances when food became scarce. Back then, sugar certainly wasn’t as bountiful as it is now, but our craving for it remains in the modern day. The desire for sugar has been likened to that of cocaine, with one study suggesting that sugar might be “more rewarding and attractive”, calling back on our ancestors’ drive for high-sugar, high-calorie foods.[v]
Now, sugar is ubiquitous – and this is a serious problem for dentistry. It’s not easy to gauge just how much sugar is consumed in the UK – but figures show that between 2021 to 2022, there were 42,180 instances of tooth extractions in hospitals for those aged between 0 to 19, of which 26,741 were due to caries.[vi] According to the World Health Organisation,[vii] ‘free sugars are the essential dietary factor in the development of dental caries”, and those with more dental caries “have a higher intake of free sugars”. As you know, oral health complications in young individuals can predispose them to issues later in life, so these statistics are incredibly concerning.
The right kind of protection
Prevention is considered the gold standard for reducing the burden of oral disease – helping patients adjust their diet is one part of the bigger picture surrounding oral health protection. Talking to patients about their diets isn’t always easy – but it’s vital that you’re able to broach this topic gently with them, and suggest ways they can moderate their eating behaviours.
Of course, good oral hygiene habits should be continually reinforced – you can also recommend products like the Waterpik® Water Flosser, which has accreditation from the Oral Health Foundation. This easy-to-use solution is needed for only 1 minute a day to provide a deep clean, with the unique combination of water pressure and pulsation that reaches between the teeth and below the gumline. The Waterpik® Water Flosser removes harmful bacteria and debris that traditional flossing can’t always reach. For a clinically proven solution for protecting oral health, recommend the Waterpik® Water Flosser today.
With the overconsumption of sugar and poor oral hygiene being two of the most common causes of various oral health issues, the dental team must remain vigilant when educating patients on the importance of protecting teeth and gums from the devastating impact of sugar.
For more information on Waterpik® Water Flosser products visit www.waterpik.co.uk. Waterpik® products are available from Amazon, Costco UK, Argos, Boots, Superdrug and Tesco online and in stores across the UK and Ireland.
Join the 3,000+ dental teams who have already benefitted from a professional WaterpikÒ Lunch & Learn. Book your free session for 1 hour of verifiable CPD and a free WaterpikÒ Water Flosser – available either face to face or as a webinar – at https://pe.waterpik.co.uk/en-GB/OfficeRegistration
Andrea Bio
Andrea Hammond is a Dental Hygienist and Waterpik Professional Educator. Andrea has worked in dentistry since 1996, first qualifying as a dental nurse in 1998 – the same year in which she secured a place on the very first dental therapy cohort at the Eastman Dental Hospital. Following this, she was awarded diplomas in both dental hygiene and dental therapy in the year 2000, and became an active member of the GDC fitness to practice panel since 2015. Today, she continues to share knowledge as a Professional Educator for Waterpik and be deeply involved in the industry as a Regional Group Representative for the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT).
[i] Huang, Y., Chen, Z., Chen, B., Li, J., Yuan, X., Li, J., Wang, W., Dai, T., Chen, H., Wang, Y., Wang, R., Wang, P., Guo, J., Dong, Q., Liu, C., Wei, Q., Cao, D. and Liu, L. (2023). Dietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review. BMJ, [online] p.e071609. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/381/bmj-2022-071609.full.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr. 2023].
[ii] NHS (2020). Sugar: the facts. [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2023].
[iii] Damle, S. (2017). Smart sugar? The sugar conspiracy. Contemporary Clinical Dentistry, [online] 8(2), p.191. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551319/ [Accessed 27 Apr. 2023].
[iv] Johnson, R.J., Sánchez-Lozada, L.G., Andrews, P. and Lanaspa, M.A. (2017). Perspective: A Historical and Scientific Perspective of Sugar and Its Relation with Obesity and Diabetes. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), [online] 8(3), pp.412–422. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28507007 [Accessed 27 Apr. 2023].
[v] Ahmed, S.H., Guillem, K. and Vandaele, Y. (2013). Sugar addiction. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, [online] 16(4), pp.434–439. Available at: https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction__pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy_to.11.aspx [Accessed 27 Apr. 2023].
[vi] GOV.UK. (n.d.). Hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19 year olds 2022. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2022/hospital-tooth-extractions-in-0-to-19-year-olds-2022#:~:text=There%20has%20been%20an%2083 [Accessed 27 Apr. 2023].
[vii] Sugar and dental caries. (2017). World Health Organization (WHO). https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259413/WHO-NMH-NHD-17.12-eng.pdf [Accessed 28 Apr. 2023].
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