# Affects of Non-Sugars on Teeth.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affects-of-non-sugars-on-teeth/360482>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 12, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affects-of-non-sugars-on-teeth/360482 "2006-06-12T20:41:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affects-of-non-sugars-on-teeth/360482/1 "2006-06-12T20:41:32Z")

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Everyone knows sugars are bad for your teeth. But one thing that has always perplexed me is what effects non-sugars have on your teeth: fats and starches, proteins too, etc. Is there anything else in this category that are bad for your teeth? Are any of these things in fact _good_ for your teeth?

Thank you in advance to all who reply 🙂

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**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affects-of-non-sugars-on-teeth/360482/2 "2006-06-13T00:20:11Z")

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Heavy drinkers of coffee or tea tend to get stains on their teeth, especially visible on the upper central incisors.

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**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affects-of-non-sugars-on-teeth/360482/3 "2006-06-13T03:12:18Z")

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I’m pretty sure that fermentable carbohydrates are the only component of the diet usable by oral bacteria. The rest might cause problems if it helps to hold a wad of food with carbs in it stuck in some gap between the teeth, where the bugs are sure to love to hang out and secrete acids that can’t be flushed away by saliva.

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**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affects-of-non-sugars-on-teeth/360482/4 "2006-06-13T10:35:27Z")

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It should be noted that sugars are not bad for your teeth. What IS bad for your teeth are the compunds released by all that bacteria in your mouth that just loves to chow down on sugar. So what affects your teeth more is not the amount of sugar on your teeth, really, but the amount of time it spends there. And yes, certain compounds (like starch) have the nice effect of sticking to things, so if you eat something sweet and starchy (like a cookie), then the sugar will stay on your teeth longer than if you eat just a big bowl of sugar.