Everyone with a tongue will agree that sweets are some of the most enjoyable foods to eat. From children to adults, candy ice cream, and other types of dessert are a universal indulgence. However, if you’ve ever eaten too many sweets within the span of one week, you might be familiar with the unwanted effects of cavities and weight gain. Because sweets are a source of joy for many people, you shouldn’t have to give them up forever. However, if you want strong, clean teeth, you’ll have to exercise discipline when eating your favorite sweets.
First, try not to turn sweets into a frequent daily snack between meals. The best practice is to schedule eating sweets or dessert once or twice a week.
Sweets expose your teeth to more acid, and your teeth’s enamel can be worn down by continued contact with acidic materials. This means that if you consume many sweets in rapid succession, your mouth’s acid levels can weaken your teeth’s resistance to cavities. Also, hard candies and sticky candies such as taffy stay on your teeth longer, making them unhealthier to ingest. Try to avoid sweets with a tendency to last long or require copious amounts of chewing.
Second, make sure you clean your teeth the right way after eating your favorite sweets. Instead of brushing your teeth right away, it is actually best to rinse with water first and wait 30 minutes before cleaning them with toothpaste. Waiting 30 minutes allows your teeth’s enamel to harden again, ensuring that it won’t be damaged when you scrape the plaque from your teeth. Also, don’t forget to floss to get rid of stray pieces of plaque in your teeth.
In addition to gargling with water, another habit that can help rinse your mouth after eating sweets is chewing sugar-free gum. The act of chewing gum can actually reduce the number of harmful bacteria in your mouth because many sugar-free gums contain the ingredient xylitol. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that bacteria can eat without growing or gaining more energy.
As a result, harmful bacteria die much quicker since they are consuming the xylitol without gaining the fuel they need to survive. If you suffer from cavities, be sure to change your dessert-eating habits and ask about Elite Dental Group’s cavity-filling services. We’ll make sure your teeth always look bright and solid.