'I'm a dentist – here’s the truth about putting sugar in coffee or tea'

It might come as a surprise, but an expert has warned that your morning cuppa could well be doing more damage to your teeth than sweet treats and fizzy drinks.

Dental therapist Anna Peterson took to TikTok with a health alert for those partial to hot drinks with sugar in. She revealed a startling fact: "Did you know you are more at risk of getting tooth decay if you have sugar in your hot drinks than if you were to eat a sugary chocolate bar every day?"

But what's the reason behind this? Anna explained that consuming sugar puts your mouth into a "danger zone" where your teeth start to "demineralise" kicking off the decay process.

"This happens to us every single day," she continued. "We have breakfast, we go into the danger zone and after about 30 minutes we come back out of that and we're in the safe zone. Your teeth can cope with three meals a day and two snacks in between that."

However, the real issue with tea and coffee is that they are typically sipped and consumed slowly over time, unlike the quick consumption of a chocolate bar. Moreover, Anna pointed out that people who drink hot beverages often have several throughout the day, meaning the prolonged sipping extends the duration in the aforementioned danger zone.

"It still takes more time after that - another 30 minutes until you're back into the safe zone," Anna added. "And potentially in that half-an-hour, I have gone and made another cup of tea." Fortunately, she opts for hot drinks without sugar, but for those that do enjoy it, they're "constantly in the danger zone throughout the day and their teeth are starting to decay until they do decay".

She concluded with a recommendation : "If you do love having sugar in your tea or coffee, then try and switch it to sweeteners like xylitol."

The guidance was well-received on TikTok, with one user commenting: "Love this explanation. I've switched to xylitol in my hot drinks as I like them slightly sweet! Only have 1/2 a day though."

Another praised Anna's approach: "I love the way you educate people and don't be rude. It makes so much sense when you explain it like this, always love your videos."

And a third shared their own alternatives, with one person saying: "I have a drop of honey in my coffee, far better than granulated." Whilst a fourth TikTok user made a candid admission: "I just love sugar to be honest, my mouth is probably permanently in danger zone."