Preventing Tooth Decay
Our dental team is dedicated to improving standards, and to giving guidance, support and preventative treatment and advice to everybody.
Below is an information for both adults and children giving some helpful advice.
Dietary Advice
For prevention of tooth decay we recommend:
• Sugary foods/treats should be restricted to mealtimes and the frequency and amount of sugary foods and drinks should be reduced
• Most sugars in the diet are contained in processed food and drinks
• It is important to wait at least 20 minutes to brush your teeth after you eat, and not straight away. When we eat something sugary our mouth is acidic for approximately 20 minutes, so it is important not to put a brush on the tooth surfaces as it will scrape away enamel.
It is also important to recognise that honey, fresh fruit juice and dried fruit also contain a lot of sugar.
If you think you are suffering from tooth decay it is useful to do a diet history recording what you eat, picking any four days in the week to bring along to your consultation. This will help us advise you on how best to improve you/ your child’s diet.
The tables below give you an insight on the amount of sugar contained in every day foods.
Cereals | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
All Bran | 19.9g |
Bran Flakes | 22.8g |
Corn Flakes | 8.2g |
Muesli-swiss style | 26.2g |
Rice Krispies | 10.4g |
Shreddies | 15.4g |
Special K | 17.8g |
Sugar Puffs | 51.5g |
Puffed Wheat | 0.3g |
Cakes | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Currant Buns | 16g |
Chocolate Fudge Cake | 44.4G |
Lemon Meringue Pie | 29.8g |
Madeira Cake | 36.5g |
Sponge Cake with jam | 47.7g |
Scones-Fruit | 18.9g |
Desserts | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Instant Dessert | 40.7g |
Ice Cream Sauce | 51g |
Ice Cream Vanilla | 18.7g |
Instant Custard | 11.1g |
Jelly | 15.1g |
Fruit Yoghurt | 16.6g |
Fruit Cocktail Syrup | 14.8g |
Fruit Trifle Mix | 16.7g |
Tinned Rice Pudding | 8.7g |
Biscuits | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Chocolate Digestive | 28.5g |
Digestive Biscuits | 13.6g |
Chocolate wafer | 41.3g |
Ginger Nuts | 35.8g |
Custards Cream | 35.2g |
Rich Tea | 22.3g |
Jaffa Cakes | 53.9g |
Lincoln | 24.1g |
Savoury | TRACE |
Shortcake | 15.7g |
Confectionary's | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Boiled Sweets | 86.7g |
Milk Chocolate | 56.9g |
Plain Chocolate | 62.2g |
Crème Egg | 58g |
Fruits Pastilles | 59g |
Kit Kat | 50.1g |
Liquorice Allsorts | 62.4g |
Snickers | 47.5g |
Mars Bar | 66.2g |
Milky Way | 68.1g |
Pepper Mints | 102.7g |
Smarties | 70.8g |
Twix | 51.6g |
Turkish Delight | 68.6g |
Toffees | 44.8g |
Soft Drinks | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Blackcurrant undiluted | 59.1g |
Fruit Juices | 8.3g - 10.g |
Coca Cola | 10.9g |
Ginger Ale | 3.9.g |
Lemonade | 5.8g |
Orange squash undiluted | 24.6g |
Lucozade | 14.3g |
Tonic Water | NILL |
Soups | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Tin Tomato soup | 2.6g |
Packet Minestrone | 1.4g |
Spreads | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Chocolate Spread | 57.1g |
Honey | 76.4g |
Jam | 69G |
Lemon Curd | 40.4g |
Marmalade | 69.5g |
Syrup | 79g |
Treacle | 66.8g |
Peanut Butter-Smooth | 6.7g |
Beverages | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Bourn Vita | 52g |
Drinks Chocolate | 33g |
Horlicks | 53g |
Ovaltine | 47g |
Sauces and Pickles | Amount of sugar per 100g |
---|---|
Brown Sauce | 19.6g |
Salad Cream | 16.7g |
Sweet Pickle | 33.9g |
Tomato Ketchup | 27.5g |
Need more advice?
The Dental Helpline offers confidential advice. Qualified dental professionals are available to answer your questions personally from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
References of sugar amounts are from ‘composition of foods’ by McCance and Widdowsons 6th Edition