Our Location:
Nashua Smile Makers
Nashua, NH 03060

Find answers and other helpful dental topics in our digital library.
Our Blog:
Archive:
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- August (5)
- Talk With Your Dentist About Antibiotic Therapy Before Implant Surgery
- Finding the Perfect Cosmetic Dentistry Treatment for You
- Reasons You Should Consider Veneers
- Listen to Ellen DeGeneres: Don't Think You Can Get Away Without Flossing!
- Your 'Toothache' Might Signal a Problem Other Than in Your Mouth
- March (5)
- Winning the War on Gum Disease Requires Post-Treatment Vigilance
- Are You Keeping Good Oral Hygiene Habits?
- Make Your Baby as Comfortable as Possible During Teething
- Too Old to Straighten Your Smile? Not If You're Like These A-List Celebrities
- You Don't Have to Live With Uncomfortable Cracked Mouth Corners
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013
- 2011
Tags
- pediatric dentistry (17)
- celebrity smiles (91)
- orthodontics (10)
- palatal expanders (2)
- braces (11)
- veneers (14)
- prepless veneers (1)
- nightguard (1)
- grinding teeth (1)
- dental emergency (2)
- dental injury (8)
- porcelain veneers (8)
- snoring (1)
- sleep apnea (2)
- oral health (33)
- Oral Hygiene (38)
- Dentist (2)
- Nashua (3)
- diabetes (1)
- sealants (3)
- herbal remedy (1)
- cosmetic dentistry (23)
- missing tooth (1)
- replacing teeth (1)
- dental implant (7)
- nutrition (5)
- bridge (1)
- tooth pain (4)
- root canal treatment (6)
- dental implants (24)
- osteoporosis (1)
- oral surgery (1)
- crown (2)
- fluoride (3)
- social media (1)
- gum disease (13)
- laser dentistry (1)
- mouthguards (4)
- dental injuries (1)
- sensitive teeth (1)
- Cosmetic Dentist (1)
- mouthrinse (1)
- root resorption (1)
- root canal (3)
- TMD (1)
- TMJ (1)
- dental anxiety (1)
- smile makeover (3)
- Sugar (1)
- pediatric care (1)
- TADs (1)
- wisdom teeth (8)
- gummy smile (1)
- teeth wear (1)
- dentures (5)
- chipped teeth (1)
- Flossing (2)
- orthodontic treatment (22)
- tooth grinding (1)
- frenectomy (1)
- crowns (5)
- oral cancer (4)
- tobacco (1)
- dental crowns (3)
- restorative dentistry (4)
- tooth decay (7)
- athletic mouthguards (1)
- Family Dentist (3)
- smoking (3)
- seniors (1)
- abscessed tooth (1)
- mouthguard (2)
- periodontal (gum) disease (1)
- palatal expander (1)
- teeth whitening (4)
- geographic tongue (1)
- bone grafting (3)
- bad breath (2)
- clear aligners (4)
- chipped tooth (4)
- x-rays (3)
- bonding (1)
- headgear (2)
- thumb sucking (1)
- adult braces (1)
- teeth grinding (1)
- medicine (1)
- bone loss (1)
- missing teeth (1)
- artificial sweeteners (1)
- Dental Bonding (1)
- Dental Repair (1)
- teething (3)
- sedation dentistry (1)
- periodontal disease (2)
- periodontal surgery (1)
- x-ray (1)
- dental sealants (2)
- toothache (3)
- eating disorder (1)
- retainer (1)
- Family Dentistry (3)
- loose tooth (2)
- lingual braces (2)
- Filling (1)
- removable partial denture (1)
- tooth extraction (1)
- Implants (1)
- Dental Cavity (1)
- mouth sore (1)
- retainers (3)
- Preventive Dentistry (1)
- tmj disorders (1)
- Bleeding Gums (1)
- gum recession (1)
- pregnancy (1)
- partial denture (1)
- anxiety (1)

We’ve all heard about potentially negative health effects from the sugar that’s added to many of our favorite foods. So these days, lots of us are trying to cut down on our consumption of sugar — not only to lose weight, but also to help prevent maladies like diabetes and heart disease. We can’t help noticing those pastel-colored packets — pink, yellow and blue — on the rack of our favorite coffee shop. But now we’re wondering: Are those sugar substitutes a good alternative to natural sugar? And which one should we choose?
Artificial sweeteners have been around for decades. Six different types (including the ones in the colorful packets) are currently approved as safe by the Food and Drug Administration; a couple of older ones (notably cyclamates) have been banned for many years. In addition to those zero-calorie sugar substitutes, low-calorie sweeteners called sugar alcohols (for example, mannitol and xylitol) are often used as food ingredients. So what’s the difference between them — and which one is best?
That’s not so easy to answer. If you have a rare genetic condition called phenylketonuria, you should avoid aspartame (the blue packet), because your body can’t process the substance. Otherwise, the choice may come down to a matter of taste. Even though they are FDA-approved, some controversy (both fact-based and far-fetched) remains about the long-term safety of sugar substitutes, and their usefulness in preventing obesity and other diseases.
Yet it’s clear that for some people, the consequences of consuming too much sugar could be much worse. So if you’re at risk for diabetes or certain other diseases, sugar substitutes can be an important tool in maintaining a healthier diet. They also have another health benefit: sugar substitutes don’t cause cavities. Further, some sugar alcohols (xylitol in particular) have the property of stimulating saliva flow, and have been shown to actually impede the formation of cavities. Oral health is an important (if sometimes overlooked) component of your general well-being, and several studies have pointed to a link between oral and systemic diseases — for example, diabetes and heart disease.
As with so many aspects of our health, there seems to be no “magic bullet” to cure all our diet-related problems. But used in moderation, artificial sweeteners can be a valuable part of the effort to improve our overall health and well-being. For more information on this topic, see the Dear Doctor article “Artificial Sweeteners.”