Microbiologists Explain What Happens in Your Mouth When You Eat Sugar

Between Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies, and holiday cookies, the end of the year is often packed with opportunities to consume sugar.

But what happens in your mouth during those first minutes and hours after eating those sweets?

While you're likely aware that eating too much sugar can cause cavities – that is, damage to your teeth – you might be less familiar with how bacteria use those sugars to build a sticky film called plaque on your teeth as soon as you take that first sweet bite.

We are a team of microbiologists that studies how oral bacteria cause tooth decay . Here's what happens in your mouth the moment sugar passes your lips – and how to protect your teeth.

An acid plunge

Within seconds of your first bite or sip of something sugary, the bacteria that make the hum