Professionals at Sauer Dentistry don't state that favorite candies or sugary desserts should never be eaten. However, they do recommend ways to counteract sugar and acids on teeth.
Greenwood City Lifestyle asked Sauer hygienists Megan Stotts, Chaya Morris, Julie Harris, Alyssa Dolder-Negrete and Jennifer Iannotti for specific advice about how to best handle dental health when it comes to daily food and drinks. They expertly obliged:
- Eating fresh fruits and vegetables can help keep teeth clean. If drinking soda, it's better to have it with a meal, then rinse with water afterward. Don't sip on a sugary or acidic beverage all day, such as Gatorade, pop, sports drinks and energy drinks.
- When eating something sugary or highly acidic the plaque biofilm (bacteria) in mouths multiply rapidly. That’s why your mouth feels fuzzy after consuming candy or soda. It takes 20 minutes for your mouth to go back to a healthy neutral pH. If you sip on a giant soda all day, you cannot return to a healthy environment; this is when cavities develop.
- The best sugar substitute for dental health is Xylitol, which reduces bacteria, which reduces risk of dental decay. It also can be useful for patients with dry mouth. It’s very popular in gum, such as Trident or Spry.
- Make sure to brush your teeth twice a day.
Foods beneficial for dental health: Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables; broccoli; celery; apples; raspberries; lentils; avocados; carrots. Additionally, some fruits and vegetables have natural fluoride, such as apples, bananas, strawberries, cherries, russet potatoes, walnuts, cashews and almonds.
Drinks helpful to teeth health include tea black/green, which also contains natural fluoride. Milk is a good source of calcium, but contains sugars, so rinse with water after drinking it. Water is the top neutralizer, so check bottled water pH content to get as close to neutral 7 as possible.
More Tips For Occasionally Enjoying Drinks That Aren't The Best For Teeth:
- Drink them through a straw to minimize acids’ and sugars’ contact with teeth.
- Consume them in one sitting.
- Drink dark drinks with fibrous fruits and vegetables to minimize staining.
- Don’t brush teeth immediately after drinking acidic and sugary drinks; toothbrushes can damage tooth enamel while it’s vulnerable.
- Give saliva a half hour to mount a natural defense first.
Sauer Dentistry is a state-of-the-art dental facility with advanced technology on-site, including digital impressions, digital X-rays, 3D computed tomography and a CEREC CAD/CAM scanner/milling unit capable of crafting same-day restorations. The practice is anchored by Aaron Sauer, D.D.S., and Whitney Marsh, D.M.D.
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