--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sugar contributes to tooth decay only…" description: "\"“Sugar contributes to tooth decay only indirectly. Like humans, bacteria are fond of it. “Bacteria get all crazy—party, party—they metabolize the sugar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/mary-roach-635_sugar_sugar-contributes-to-tooth-decay-only-in_1397480.png" --- # Sugar contributes to tooth decay only indirectly. Like… ![“Sugar contributes to tooth decay only indirectly. Like humans, bacteria are fond of it. “Bacteria get all crazy—party, party—they metabolize the sugar, break it down, and they release their metabolites, and these are acid” (though not as acid as cola or wine). In” quote by Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/mary-roach-635_sugar_sugar-contributes-to-tooth-decay-only-in_1397480.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/mary-roach-635_sugar_sugar-contributes-to-tooth-decay-only-in_1397480.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/097/mary-roach-635_sugar_sugar-contributes-to-tooth-decay-only-in_1397480.png) > ““Sugar contributes to tooth decay only indirectly. Like humans, bacteria are fond of it. “Bacteria get all crazy—party, party—they metabolize the sugar, break it down, and they release their metabolites, and these are acid” (though not as acid as cola or wine). In”” [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sugar indirectly fuels tooth decay by feeding bacteria that produce harmful acids. **In simple terms:** Sugar feeds bacteria that cause decay. Key Takeaway Limit sugary foods for oral health. Themes health nutrition biology Mood informative practical Type scientific educational When to use this quote - diet planning - parenting - dental visits - food labeling Key Concepts microbiology dental health metabolism Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives reduce decay risk? - How does oral hygiene mitigate this? A Different Perspective Acids also come from other foods. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contributes Tooth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contributes-tooth-4887537/) [Humans Bacteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans-bacteria-4887538/) [Sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sugar/) [Sugar Contributes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sugar-contributes-4887536/) [Tooth Decay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tooth-decay-2337456/) ## Related quotes > [“Never allow your child to go to sleep with milk/formula residue on their gums/teeth. This causes painful tooth decay. That means no bottles in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-walker/never-allow-your-child-to-go-to-sleep-with-milk-formula-residue-on/) [Jennifer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-walker/) > [Tooth decay was a perennial national problem that meant a mouthful of silver for patients, and for dentists a pocketful of gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-wallis/tooth-decay-was-a-perennial-national-problem-that-meant-a-mouthful-of/) [Claudia Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-wallis/) > [Disney Channel is celebrities coated in sugar. Everything is really happy; everything is really bright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-osment/disney-channel-is-celebrities-coated-in-sugar-everything-is-really/) [Emily Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-osment/) > [News is to the mind what sugar is to the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dobelli/news-is-to-the-mind-what-sugar-is-to-the-body/) [Rolf Dobelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dobelli/) > [Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow." Ken Mierke says. "So they're just training their bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/nearly-all-runners-do-their-slow-runs-too-fast-and-their-fast-runs/) [Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/) > [Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greece-is-a-sort-of-american-vassal-the-netherlands-is-the-country-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've been more conscious of my salt intake, sugar intake, making sure I'm not eating as many processed foods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-denise-brown/i-ve-been-more-conscious-of-my-salt-intake-sugar-intake-making-sure-i/) [Monica Denise Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-denise-brown/) > [“Sugar is for the body as narcissism is for the soul. Both pleasures kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/sugar-is-for-the-body-as-narcissism-is-for-the-soul-both-pleasures/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. The groves of these trees looked like vast forest sheds, their branches stoppingshort at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sugar-maple-is-remarkable-for-its-clean-ankle-the-groves-of-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Suck it up, sugar - at least they're not shootin' at ya'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhada-addams/suck-it-up-sugar-at-least-they-re-not-shootin-at-ya/) [Jhada Addams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhada-addams/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [If Japanese tea 'stands,' it acquires a coarse bitterness and an unwholesome astringency. Milk and sugar are not used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/if-japanese-tea-stands-it-acquires-a-coarse-bitterness-and-an/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [I worked in a barbershop. I used to make the waves in the brother's hair, you know? Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) > [KEEP CALM and HAVE A SUGAR CUBE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/keep-calm-and-have-a-sugar-cube/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) ## More by Mary Roach > [“Rawson points out that although snakes can’t taste, they have a primitive sense of smell. They’ll extend their tongue to gather volatile molecules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/rawson-points-out-that-although-snakes-can-t-taste-they-have-a/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“As the number of Inuit who hunt has dwindled, so has the consumption of organs (and other anatomy not available for purchase at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/as-the-number-of-inuit-who-hunt-has-dwindled-so-has-the-consumption/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [To me, death is dark, pain, grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-me-death-is-dark-pain-grief/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“If you look at survivable crashes, it’s rare that even half the emergency exits open,” says Shanahan. “Plus, there’s a lot of panic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-you-look-at-survivable-crashes-it-s-rare-that-even-half-the/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“…he was doing a breath hydrogen test. If you know the amount of hydrogen someone is exhaling orally, it's a simple matter to extrapolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/he-was-doing-a-breath-hydrogen-test-if-you-know-the-amount-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Viagra isn't the only drug being prescribed off-label for women with arousal problems. Los Angeles urologist Jennifer Berman told me some doctors are prescribing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/viagra-isn-t-the-only-drug-being-prescribed-off-label-for-women-with/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Sharing a room with a cadaver is only mildly different from being in a room alone. They are the same sort of company as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/sharing-a-room-with-a-cadaver-is-only-mildly-different-from-being-in/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Every now and then, someone will tell me that one of my books has made them laugh out loud. I never believe them because:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/every-now-and-then-someone-will-tell-me-that-one-of-my-books-has-made/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“panel applicants at the initial screening were asked not only to describe the cat foods but also to rate them according to how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/panel-applicants-at-the-initial-screening-were-asked-not-only-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“\* Kissing is a less aggressive form of bacterial transplant. Studies of three different gingivitis-causing bacteria have documented migration from spouse to spouse. Periodontically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/kissing-is-a-less-aggressive-form-of-bacterial-transplant-studies-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Nirlungayuk reached a similar conclusion. I tracked him down, seventeen years later, and asked him what the outcome of his country-foods campaign had been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/nirlungayuk-reached-a-similar-conclusion-i-tracked-him-down-seventeen/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Astronauts are like these mythic legends, but really, they are just regular people, people who wear chinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/astronauts-are-like-these-mythic-legends-but-really-they-are-just/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Olive trees grow in the same climate and soil conditions as grapes. The olive oil people have been up in Napa Valley all along,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/olive-trees-grow-in-the-same-climate-and-soil-conditions-as-grapes/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“A patient on the way to surgery travels at twice the speed of a patient on the way to the morgue. Gurneys that ferry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/a-patient-on-the-way-to-surgery-travels-at-twice-the-speed-of-a/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) [Explore all 435 Mary Roach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## More Sugar quotes > [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [KEEP CALM and HAVE A SUGAR CUBE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/keep-calm-and-have-a-sugar-cube/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I worked in a barbershop. I used to make the waves in the brother's hair, you know? Like, Nat King Cole, Sugar Ray Robinson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/i-worked-in-a-barbershop-i-used-to-make-the-waves-in-the-brother-s/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) > [If Japanese tea 'stands,' it acquires a coarse bitterness and an unwholesome astringency. Milk and sugar are not used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/if-japanese-tea-stands-it-acquires-a-coarse-bitterness-and-an/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Suck it up, sugar - at least they're not shootin' at ya'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhada-addams/suck-it-up-sugar-at-least-they-re-not-shootin-at-ya/) [Jhada Addams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhada-addams/) > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. The groves of these trees looked like vast forest sheds, their branches stoppingshort at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-sugar-maple-is-remarkable-for-its-clean-ankle-the-groves-of-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Sugar is for the body as narcissism is for the soul. Both pleasures kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/sugar-is-for-the-body-as-narcissism-is-for-the-soul-both-pleasures/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [I've been more conscious of my salt intake, sugar intake, making sure I'm not eating as many processed foods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-denise-brown/i-ve-been-more-conscious-of-my-salt-intake-sugar-intake-making-sure-i/) [Monica Denise Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-denise-brown/) > [Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greece-is-a-sort-of-american-vassal-the-netherlands-is-the-country-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow." Ken Mierke says. "So they're just training their bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/nearly-all-runners-do-their-slow-runs-too-fast-and-their-fast-runs/) [Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/) > [News is to the mind what sugar is to the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dobelli/news-is-to-the-mind-what-sugar-is-to-the-body/) [Rolf Dobelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dobelli/) > [Disney Channel is celebrities coated in sugar. Everything is really happy; everything is really bright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-osment/disney-channel-is-celebrities-coated-in-sugar-everything-is-really/) [Emily Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-osment/) > [We're all just waiting for our sugar lumps. That's how life has been structured for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/we-re-all-just-waiting-for-our-sugar-lumps-that-s-how-life-has-been/) [Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/) > [Dietitians and nutritionists rely on the ADA food pyramid - a political document that is influenced by the food lobbies, including big dairy, big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-rosenthal/dietitians-and-nutritionists-rely-on-the-ada-food-pyramid-a-political/) [Joshua Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-rosenthal/) [Browse all 1,058 Sugar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sugar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sugar contributes to tooth decay only indirectly. Like humans, bacteria are fond of it. “Bacteria get all crazy—party, party—they metabolize the sugar, break it down, and they release their metabolites, and these are acid” (though not as acid as cola or wine). 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