We all know sugar impacts our oral health and can contribute to dental decay, but what you might not know is that sugar isn’t just the white stuff we put into our coffee or use when baking cakes… It turns out the average Australian is eating a lot more sugar than they realise. In fact, as adults, we consume an average of 15 teaspoons of added sugar per day, with children consuming even more – up to 20 teaspoons a day.

According to a recent ADA publication, many Australians consume more than the daily-recommended limit of sugar before they have finished their breakfast! One serving of breakfast cereal with strawberry yoghurt can contain as much as 24 grams of sugar (that’s 6 teaspoons)!

Sugar comes in many shapes and forms and sometimes it’s hard to know what we are really eating. Here is a list that will help you find those hidden sugars so we can be aware of what we are eating. Just because a sugar is healthy or natural doesn’t make it any less sugar! (Remember, all these sugars can cause just as much harm to our teeth).

Common names for added sugars are agave nectar, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, cane juice, cane sugar, caster sugar, corn syrup, demarara sugar, dextrose, fructose, glucose, golden syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, icing sugar, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maple syrup, molasses, raw sugar and rock sugar.

SOURCE: ADA Victoria, Caring for your Teeth (April 2017)