Thanks for running Barbara Sadick's article "Scientific team sounds the alarm on sugar as a source of disease" (Dec. 5).
The article brings public attention to the damaging effects of sugar on our health, showing that sugars are making us sick by contributing to obesity, higher incidence of liver disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders.
Informative as the article was, I was disappointed that it did not mention anything about sugar's damaging effect on oral health. Oral health is often forgotten when it comes to issues of overall health — as if somehow the mouth isn't connected to the body.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, oral health is an essential part of overall health enhancing our ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, chew and swallow.
Sugar is a leading cause of tooth decay. It's broken down by bacteria in the mouth to produce acid, which creates cavities. Although preventable, cavities are the number one chronic disease in children.
Cavities affect more than 16 million children annually, causing extreme pain and the inability to concentrate. Each year more than 51 million school hours and 164 million work hours are missed due to cavities.
Poor oral health habits can cause bacteria in our mouths that feed on the sugar we consume to become uncontrolled. Uncontrolled bacteria cause infection and inflammation that can spread from the mouth to the rest of the body, causing serious medical problems.
Bacteria can be controlled by brushing with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes twice a day and flossing daily.
There is evidence that there is a strong relationship between diabetes and gum disease. Inflammation from gum disease makes it difficult for the body to limit sugar, which is critical to controlling diabetes.
The Journal of Periodontology and the America Journal of Cardiology recently published a consensus report that shows there is growing evidence of a link between oral disease, heart disease and stroke.
The point is simple — take care of your teeth and mouth. That means not only brushing and flossing, but eliminating sugar from your diet. As the article suggests, limiting sugar consumption will lead to better overall health, and that includes oral health.
Margie Donohue, Glen Burnie
The writer is executive director of the Maryland Dental Action Coalition.