Why do sugary foods hurt cavities in your teeth, but not salty foods? Salt in other wounds cause pain, so why not teeth?

Question

Why do sugary foods hurt cavities in your teeth, but not salty foods? Salt in other wounds cause pain, so why not teeth?

In: 11

Answer 1

I’ve never had sugary food hurt. Like it does cause cavities through bacteria, but are you saying your mouth actually hurts with sugary food?

Edit: Didn’t realize I was in Eli5 so I’ll give an explanation since this is top level.

I don’t think the sugar alone would cause pain. It is likely some mixture of temperature or texture and the fact that sugary treats can be gooey or squishy and can get into cavities where it is sensitive more easily.