Your Regina Dentist Recommends That You Think Before You Drink
If you’re drinking something other than water, coffee or tea daily, it may be time to rethink your choices. Empty calories such as these below, consume your daily allowance of calories but give you nothing in return – except an increased risk for multiple diseases, toothaches, and weight gain. Woohoo!
For example, here are some Starbuck drinks and their sugar content.
| DRINK (16 OZ. GRANDE) | CALORIES | SUGARS (G) |
| Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino (whole milk, whipped cream) | 430 | 69 |
| Caramel Macchiato (2 percent milk) | 240 | 32 |
| Chai Tea Latte (2 percent milk) | 240 | 42 |
| Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino (whole milk, whipped cream) | 270 | 41 |
| Coffee Frappuchino (whole milk) | 240 | 50 |
| Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino (whole milk, whipped cream) | 420 | 52 |
| Hot Chocolate (2 percent milk, whipped cream) | 400 | 43 |
| Mocha Frappuccino (whole milk, whipped cream) | 410 | 61 |
| Smoked Butterscotch Frappuccino (whole milk, whipped cream) | 440 | 65 |
Recommended Daily Sugar Allowance
The recommended daily allowance is 5-10% of your calories. So if you are eating a 2000 calorie/day diet then the maximum amount of ALL sugars (natural and added) is 12 tsp./48grams. Looking at the Starbucks chart, any of those grande drinks would soak up your daily allowance in one go! Your Regina Dentist recommended that you verify the sugar nutritional value of what you drink to keep your teeth healthy.
Instead of grabbing an ‘empty’ drink, try having a glass of water at your desk and enjoy some snacks that provide you some nutritional benefit. Whole foods are easy and good for you: veggies, nuts, fruit (keep your water handy to keep the sugar from hanging around your mouth), and cheese are all great for your mouth health and the rest of your body.
The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation has some great resources and ideas to help you kick the addiction. Our team at Downtown Dental recommends that you take a look at those easy tips that will help your health.
Sugar and Dental Health
Sugar is not only bad for your dental health, it is also one of the main reasons why 60% of Canadian adults and 31% of children and youth (aged between 5 and 17 years old) are overweight or obese.
Contact Us
For more easy ideas on how to improve your eating habits, your Regina Dentist advises that you check out this blog. If you have any question or need more information on how to avoid an excess of sugar, don’t hesitate to contact your Regina Dentist today. At Downtown Dental Center we are more than happy to sit down and talk to you. Give us a call today for an appointment or for more information.
