Aug2

Healthy Snacks for Your Teeth

Categories: Dental, Oral Hygiene

Sugary Snacks Turn into Acid

If you have a sweet tooth, you may not have it for very long. Sugary snacks during the day stick to your teeth, turning the sugar to acid and acid is very harmful to your tooth enamel.

Before you snack, ask yourself some questions and make wise choices.

How to Make Healthy Snack Choices

We all have bacteria in our mouths.  Some, depending on their oral care routine, will have more than others.  Bacteria turns into sticky plaque and those two oral enemies love to soak up sugar. Sugar eventurally turns into acid and acid targets healthy tooth enamel that protects your teeth.

When you eat a snack, you should ask yourself a few questions:

  • How many sugary foods do I eat in one day?
  • How long does the sugary substance stay in my mouth?
  • Is the food sticky or chewy?

If you answer finding that you have one or more sugary, sticky or chewy snacks daily, you are definitely in the danger zone for tooth decay.

There are plenty of snacks available that are good for your teeth as well as your overall health.

Best Choices for Daily Snacking

If you enjoy juice, make sure it’s sugar free.  If you chew gum, chosing sugar free is a great choice and it helps to creative good saliva to keep acid balanced in your mouth.

Choose: Oranges, Grapefruit, Melons, Pineapple, Pears, Tangerines, Broccoli, Celery, Carrots, Cucumbers and Tomatoes.

Grains such as: Multigrain Bread, Plain bagels, Unsweetened cereals, Unbuttered popcorn, Tortilla chips (baked, not fried), Pretzels (low-salt), Pasta and Plain crackers.  Add to the group nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Remember to read packaging labels.  Sugars come in different forms and if food labels indicate brown sugar, honey, molasses and syrups, you don’t want to include those foods in your healthy snack plan.

It is also strongly suggested that you visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings to add to your daily oral hygiene regimen at home.

For the best is oral health care, call Ocean County dentist, Dr. Ron Rotem today. Dr. Rotem and healthy snacks for your teeth are the perfect combination.