Going Sugar Free… The Right Way

Posted by: Dr. Sirakian Categories: Uncategorized

Thinking about cutting back on sugar? You may be considering replacing your sugar intake with artificial sweeteners to cut the number of calories you take in. However, there are certain things to watch out for:

“Sugarless” isn’t always so – A product may claim to be ‘sugarless’ or ‘no sugar added’ but that doesn’t mean that there is no sugar, it just means they didn’t add any refined sugar to it during processing. Have a look at the nutrition information to see how many carbs are in the food to get a better idea of how much sugar there is in the food.
Sugar alcohols are a good replacement – There are certain ingredients that are described as ‘sugar alcohols’. These aren’t actually alcohol and they won’t cause intoxication. The FDA has said they don’t cause cavities, and in fact, one of them, Xylitol, actually protects teeth!
Artificial sweeteners – The widely used and FDA-approved sweeteners (such as aspartame and sucralose) haven’t shown to be dangerous for human consumption. You do, however, need to watch out for impacting the flavor of a dish if you are using it in your own cooking. For instance, aspartame can’t be used for baked goods since it degrades at high temperatures!

What You Need to Know About Grillz

Dental grills (also known as “grillz”) might draw attention to your teeth and your smile, but they are actually terrible for your teeth. If you have ever seen a music video featuring someone wearing grills, then you are likely looking at dental grills that are made from gold, silver, or another precious metal. While expensive […]

Xerostomia: What is it, and how do I fix it?

It’s a feeling we’ve all experienced at some point or another: a parched, gritty, can’t-get-water-fast-enough sensation that’s unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, is a medical condition that we tend to write off as mere dehydration. While taking a big gulp of water can help in the short-term, if your […]

Dentistry: Not Just for Humans!

If you have a pet at home, you may have taken them for a dental checkup. That’s right, animals—especially pets and zoo animals—often need dental care. Periodontal disease is one of the biggest reasons animals lose teeth. This is particularly true for pets and zoo animals in captive who decidedly live longer than they would […]

What Other Surgeries Can an Endodontist Perform?

While endodontists are known as specialists in root canal therapy, they actually specialize in saving teeth by working with the inside of the tooth. Endodontists can do a variety of surgeries to save your natural tooth. One of these surgeries is called an apicoectomy. An apicoectomy is needed when conventional root canal treatment cannot treat […]

The Impact of Pacifier Use on Your Baby’s Teeth

There are a few benefits as to why pacifiers should be given to babies. Research has shown that pacifiers can actually help reduce incidences of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Babies who suck on pacifiers during sleep don’t fall into as deep a sleep as those who don’t suck on pacifiers. This means that if […]