Tooth decay is driven less by the amount of sugar than by how often your teeth are exposed to it through the day. Every time you eat dates or sweets, bacteria turn the sugar into acids that attack the enamel for up to about an hour. So having sweet foods with meals, then drinking water and brushing with fluoride toothpaste, is far better than moving from one sweet to another all day.
A layer of bacteria called plaque lives on the teeth, and when sugars reach it, the bacteria turn them into acids. These acids draw minerals out of the enamel, gradually weakening it. Saliva then works to neutralise the acid and restore some of the minerals, especially when fluoride is present.
The trouble starts when acid attacks come again before saliva has finished its work, so the enamel loses more than it regains. First a chalky white spot appears, then a cavity that needs a filling.
Dates are a nourishing food rich in fibre and minerals, and there is no need to give them up. But they are high in sugar and sticky, so they cling to the grooves of back teeth and between teeth and stay longer than some other sweets, especially very soft varieties.
The answer is to eat them at a set time, with coffee or after a meal, rather than one after another throughout the day, then drink or rinse with water to clear the remnants. Watch out for the stones as well, since biting down on one suddenly is a common cause of broken teeth.
These simple habits protect your teeth without going without:
In Ramadan, dates and sweets are plentiful between iftar and suhoor, and eating hours are shorter, so sugar is concentrated into a few back-to-back hours. You can reduce the harm by breaking your fast with dates and then water, having sweets after the iftar meal or at one time in the evening rather than throughout the night, and brushing after iftar, before bed and after suhoor.
At Eid, weddings and other occasions, sweets and chocolate are everywhere, especially for children. Agree with your children on a set time for sweets, such as after lunch; enjoying them is fine, with a good brush in the evening.
Baby teeth have thinner enamel, so decay progresses faster in them. Children need a parent to supervise brushing until about age 7 or 8:
Mouth bacteria do not distinguish much between natural and added sugar; both can cause decay. Dates do offer nutritional benefits that processed sweets do not, so what matters is timing and cleaning afterwards.
You can brush after ordinary sweets, but after acidic foods and drinks such as juices and fizzy drinks it is better to wait about 30 to 60 minutes. Either way, rinsing with water straight away helps.
Sweeteners such as xylitol do not cause decay, but some of these products and drinks can be acidic and affect the enamel. Read the ingredients, and do not use them instead of brushing.
You may notice dull white or brown spots on your teeth, or sensitivity to sweet or cold things. Much early decay causes no pain, so it is often found by the dentist at a check-up or on an X-ray.
See a dentist if you notice white or brown spots on your teeth, sensitivity to sweet or cold things, food that keeps getting stuck in one place, or pain when chewing. For children, do not wait for pain: regular check-ups find decay early, when it is simpler to treat. People with diabetes or dry mouth benefit even more from regular follow-up. You can book an appointment at Medical Care Clinics in Al-Shati Al-Gharbi, Dammam, close to Al-Khobar and Dhahran, where our dental team will check your teeth and your children's and suggest suitable prevention.
This article is general health education and does not replace a medical examination. Every case needs its own assessment by a doctor.
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