1. It's not how much sugar you eat — it's how often you have it.
One bite of sugar feeds bacteria and creates acid that breaks down teeth for 20 minutes. One bite every 20 minutes means your teeth are under constant acid attack without a break.
2. Sugar is in beverages, not just foods.
Your pumpkin spice latte is going to tag along and get sipped for a bigger chunk of your day than that powdered Italian cookie.
3. Wait 20 minutes to brush your teeth after eating.
That's after the acid has had a chance to buffer. You might want to cover up the evidence ASAP, but just wait — you don't want to brush your teeth while they're in a weakened state.
4. Holiday meals have plenty of alcohol already.
Opt for mouthwashes that are alcohol-free. The alcohol doesn't do much for you — it only irritates gum tissue. The pH is actually pretty low (very acidic) in some mouthwashes.
5. Get your cavities fixed.
Active cavities not only grow faster than new cavities on intact teeth, but they also make it 1,000 times more likely you'll get another new cavity.
6. Pay attention to your bone health earlier in life.
Lift some weights and watch your carbonated beverage intake. The fewer medications we take, the fewer side effects we experience. Osteoporosis medications have a small chance of creating complications in the jaw, and the risks go up if you need an extraction.
7. No one thing is going to derail your teeth.
Brush for two minutes in the morning and night, and you'll avoid 85% of your potential problems. Add one session of flossing, and you'll avoid 99% of those problems. I can't think of a better return on investment for six minutes a day.