4.Sugar Causes Tooth Decay

4.糖会导致蛀牙

Ever go trick-or-treating at your dentist's home as a kid, only to receive a pencil or sticker because, your dentist said, candy (sugar) will rot your teeth? Your dentist wasn't totally wrong. If your teeth come in contact with sugary foods and drinks, decay can result. But that's only if those sugary substances sit on your teeth for a long time. Further, your teeth can also be damaged if all sorts of other foods are in contact with them for prolonged periods -- fruit, for example, or bread or oatmeal. Even healthy veggies can wreak¹ havoc² on your teeth. Here's why:

在你小的时候，每次万圣节去牙医家门口索要糖果时，是不是往往只得到一个铅笔盒和贴纸呢？你的牙医告诉你，糖果会让你产生蛀牙，他的说法并非毫无道理。如果你经常吃含糖食物和饮料，就会导致蛀牙。但这种情况只会在含糖物质长期存留在你的牙齿上时才发生。此外，如果其他食物（比如水果、面包或者麦片）也长期停留在牙齿上并且与含糖物质接触，也会导致蛀牙。甚至健康的蔬菜也会极大的损伤你的牙齿。这就来告诉你原因。

A substance called plaque³ is what causes cavities. Plaque starts forming on your teeth the minute you eat or drink something. If you don't get rid of it, it will eventually erode⁴ the enamel⁵ on your teeth, creating tiny holes that are the very start of cavities. To prevent tooth decay, then, it's best to brush your teeth after eating. Even rinsing⁶ your mouth with water can help. If you've eaten foods that can easily get stuck in your teeth, like raisins⁷, dry cereal, popcorn⁸ or raspberries, a thorough job of brushing, flossing and rinsing your teeth is critical.

一种叫做齿菌斑的物质就是导致蛀牙的因素。从你吃东西的那一刻开始，噬斑就在你的牙齿上产生了。如果你不将它弄干净，它就会侵蚀你牙齿上的牙釉质，然后产生小洞，蛀牙就开始了。防止蛀牙，最好的办法就是饭后刷牙。即使是用水漱漱口也会有帮助。如果你吃的食物很容易嵌入你的牙齿，比如葡萄干、即食麦片、爆米花或覆盆子，此时，使用牙线和清水彻底清洗你的牙齿是至关重要的。