Why does eating sweets make my teeth hurt?

Candy makes your teeth hurt when your enamel has been worn down by any variety of poor brushing practices, especially brushing too hard. Eating acidic foods (such as candy) will also have a negative impact on your enamel, slowly wearing down that hard layer of protection.

Candy is acidic – meaning it’s not great for your enamel – but it is by no means the only acidic food that can cause tooth sensitivity. Even candies which are made with alternative sweeteners are problematic, as well as otherwise healthy foods.

So candy does not necessarily cause tooth sensitivity, but the acidic nature of sugar and sweets in general will certain trigger pain when consumed by a person with already sensitive teeth as the acids begin to eat into what the tooth enamel was supposed to be protecting.

If your sensitivity is the result of receding gums (which is also caused by excessively aggressive brushing), the problem with candy is essentially the same except now the sugar is getting into the parts of your teeth which are supposed to be protected by your gums.

How do you make your teeth stop hurting after eating candy? Can tooth sensitivity go away?

The key to being free of pain is rebuilding your gum tissue or tooth enamel. This means being more careful with the way you brush. A toothbrush is not meant to aggressively scrub down your teeth. This can cause tooth sensitivity. Rather, brush in small circles. Use a soft-bristle brush, or better yet invest in any of the many electric toothbrushes on the market today. These can allow you to easily achieve the proper brushing technique with minimal effort.

If you take care to brush properly, your gums and enamel may be able to rebuild themselves. If that doesn’t solve the problem on its own, you may need to look into a change in diet to avoid highly acidic foods (maybe cut out candy for a time?).

Beyond that, talk with your dentist. They should be able to recommend practices and products specifically for you.

If you’re in the Gresham area and would like to set up an appointment with a local general and family dentist for teeth cleaning or to addressing tooth sensitivity issues, please give us a call!