StoneRock Dental Care

  • About Us
    • Patient Journey
    • Testimonials
    • Our Fees
    • StoneRock Prevention and Platinum Plan Membership
    • The Gentle Dental Philosophy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Access Statement
  • Our Team
    • Ian Kerr
    • Russell Blanchard
    • Antonio de Vivo
    • Guy McLellan
    • Matthew McNulty
    • Arwa Al-Khaburi
    • Hygiene Team
    • Pawel Lasota
    • Nursing Team
    • Customer Service Team
    • Osteopath Team
    • Chiropractic Clinic
  • Treatments
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
      • Whitening
      • Bridges
      • Porcelain Crowns
      • Porcelain Veneers
      • Direct Composites – white fillings
    • Invisalign
    • Adult Orthodontics
      • Inman Aligner
    • Smile Solutions
    • Family Dentistry
    • Wedding Day Smiles
    • StoneRock Facial Clinic
      • Non Surgical Facial Treatments
      • Plasma Rich Growth Factor (PRGF) Facelift
    • Periodontal Care
    • Hygienist Care
    • Osteopath Clinic
    • Dental Health
    • Dental Pain
    • Snoring and Sleep Apnoea
    • Smoking Cessation
  • Implant Clinic
    • All on 4 Implants
    • Implant Retained Crowns
    • Implant Retained Bridges
    • Mind The Gap – Missing Teeth
    • Implant Fees
  • FAQs
    • What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
      • Cosmetic Dentistry – Frequently Asked Questions
    • Inman Aligner FAQs
    • What is a Root Canal Filling?
    • What is an Dental Implant?
    • What is a Crown?
    • What is Fibre Reinforced Composite?
    • What is a Veneer?
    • What’s in a Smile?
    • What are Dentures?
    • What is PRGF® ?
  • News
  • Contact Us
    • A Healthy Mouth, Our Top Ten Tips
    • Ask A Question
    • Patient Referral
    • Links

Diet and Decay

January 8, 2007 by Ian Kerr

If you ask most people what causes tooth decay, they will tell you “eating to many sweets” is to blame. In simple terms they are, of course, quite correct. If you walk around with a bag of sweets in your pocket, snacking all day long on them, you wouldn’t be too surprised if you ended up with a few cavities. But the problem is, whilst some children may do this, almost no adults do, yet I spend most of my working day treating adults with tooth decay. So where does their decay come from?

The answer to this question lies in the way sugar is contained with in food and how the body breaks it down in the mouth. Almost all foods contain sugar in either simple or complex form and, if it can be fermented, the bacteria in our mouths will make acid from it. All of the basic sugars – glucose, fructose and sucrose, and most of the complex starches can do this. It is the acid that is produced in this way that causes our tooth decay.

When I chat to my patients about their decay they will often say to me “but I don’t have any sugar”. Clearly this is not the case, as almost everything they eat will contain sugar. What I try to look at with this patients is the number of times a day that they eat or drink sugar containing substances, and what mix of sticky foods and complex carbohydrates they are consuming. Ideally I try to encourage my patients to keep below 6 intakes per day, of all food and drinks, to reduce the number of times that acid is hitting their teeth. We also look to avoid sticky foods in between meals (biscuits, crisps etc.) and replace these with less sticky, lower risk foods such as fresh fruit.

This advice is in keeping with the latest research, particularly that done by Prof. David Beighton at the KCL Dental Institute, London and Peter Lingstrom, associate Professor at Gotenberg University.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Dental Research Update

About Ian Kerr

Dr Ian Kerr BDS qualified in 1989 from Newcastle University Dental School and has worked ever since in both private practice and hospital settings. Following a short stint in a busy general practice in the North East Dr Kerr went to live and work in Trinidad, where he learnt a wide range of surgical skills and developed an interest in the treatment of tempero-mandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). On returning to the UK in 1994 Dr Kerr worked in a prestigious private practice in Bromley in Kent. During his time there he completed extensive post graduate training in advanced restorative techniques and further advanced his interest in TMD.

Sign up to our newsletter

Sign up to the quarterly StoneRock newsletter, to be kept informed of our latest news, events and special offers plus educational pieces about dental health.

Connect with StoneRock

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search

Latest News

  • LLM by Research for Ian Kerr BDS MSc
  • Invisalign
  • Invisalign Open Evening May 10th

StoneRock on Facebook

This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue

About StoneRock Dental Care

StoneRock Dental Care is a stunning dental practice in Hawkhurst, Nr Cranbrook on the Kent and East Sussex border. We provide every level of care, from routine family dental visits to complete cosmetic dental makeovers, including dental implants, teeth whitening, veneers, bridges and other cosmetic dental and facial aesthetic techniques.

We know how hard it can be to choose a dentist and we know how tough it can be to decide what treatment is right for you, therefore we put your comfort and your well being at the heart of every treatment that we provide.

You can contact us on 01580 752202 or info@stonerock.co.uk

Latest News

  • LLM by Research for Ian Kerr BDS MSc
  • Invisalign
  • Invisalign Open Evening May 10th
  • Administration Manager Job Role
  • Qualified Dental Nurse
  • Receptionist Job
  • Children’s Dental Health
  • Trainee Dental Nurse

Follow us on Twitter

  • StoneRock remains open. Currently there are no restrictions with regard to medical treatment, it is both safe and e… https://t.co/Envx37AI7Fover a year ago
  • https://t.co/Mhzk0GyGLN https://t.co/9zQs4dijTvover a year ago
  • https://t.co/DZlEnyMPmv https://t.co/DoIs1YjNvEover a year ago

© Copyright 2023 StoneRock Dental Care, All Rights Reserved · Legal · Cookie Policy · Site by Nick Ebdon

StoneRock Dental Care is a trading name of SR Moors Limited · Registered Office: Stonerock House, High Street, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4AG · Registered in England and Wales, Number: 6896953