The Chairside Instructor 6 Sugar and its Effects Prevention and Diagnosis Sugary food and drinks harm your teeth! • Plaque bacteria found on your tooth surfaces feed on the sugars in your food and drinks. • They turn the sugar into acids. • These acids attack the hard surfaces of your teeth (enamel) for up to 20 minutes after you are finished eating/ drinking. • Over time, your enamel can get damaged and can cause cavities to form or erosion to occur. Sweet Tea • 1 cup: 12 grams Energy Drink • 1 can: 25 grams Regular Sports Drink • 1 bottle: 30 grams Regular Soda/Cola • 1 can: 33 grams Fruit Smoothie with Yogurt • 1 cup: 34 grams Blended Cold Cappuccino Drink • medium: 44 grams You may be drinking your dessert! You may not realize just how much sugar is in your favorite beverage. This chart shows you how many cookies are equal to the amount of sugar that’s in these popular drinks. How much sugar are you drinking every day? = 4 grams of sugar Source: United States Department of Agriculture’s SuperTracker Food-A-Pedia, www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodapedia.aspx