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Summer Sweets and Your Teeth
Are Summertime Sweets Bad for My Teeth?
Summertime means cool treats are in abundance, but are tasty snacks like popsicles, fruits, and snowballs damaging to your teeth? Unfortunately, most of these favorite treats contain a large amount of sugar. We recommend that our patients consider these summertime snacks an occasional treat rather than a steady part of their warm weather diet!
Tips to Keep Teeth Healthy this Summer
• Drink plenty of water - water helps to regulate the pH levels in your mouth while also working to rinse away sugar. After enjoying a popsicle, take a few minutes to drink some water, swishing it around your mouth to prevent sugar from adhering to your teeth.
• Floss and brush after eating anything likely to get caught between your teeth - favorite summer foods like seeds and corn on the cob tends to get lodged between the teeth, leading to increased bacteria and a greater chance of cavities. Making sure that you remove any food particles as soon as possible can help lessen the damage.
• Limit the amount of time that you spend eating snacks - eating one sugary snack a day is manageable, especially when you follow the tips above. Eating snacks over an extended period of time can lead to sugar and bacteria build-up which can cause cavities. Try not to eat snacks all day, and take the time to brush after doing so.
We all love a "bad for us" treat now and then, and they're part of a fun and happy summer! Try limiting your snacks and add some veggies to the mix too! We want all of our patients to have a healthy summer with minimal damage to their teeth and smile.