The things that you eat and drink every day can make a big difference in the health and appearance of your smile. Our Orland Park dentists are here to help you make the best possible choices for your oral health. Let’s get started by talking about how you can spot problematic foods and beverages.
It All Comes Down To Ingredients
We are used to consulting ingredient labels to assess how many calories are in any given food or beverage that we consume, but it is just as important to review these labels for the sugar content of snacks and drinks. The more sugary a substance is, the more fuel it will give the oral bacteria in your mouth; fuel that bacteria use to grow and multiply.
So, when you are looking at mints, hard candies, and gum, take special care to pick products that are low in sugar, or that use sugar substitutes, like Xylitol as sweeteners.
Minimize Oral Health Risks
There are a few additional things that you can do to help protect your smile from damage related to sugary treats…
First of all, make sure not to chew on any candies that are hard, this includes mints. Although it may seem like your teeth are unaffected by this habit, the truth is that every time you chomp on something hard, you risk developing imperceptibly small cracks or chips in your enamel.
The next thing that you can do is to consume sugars at specific times, rather than continuously throughout the day. Treat sugar consumption as a special occasion, rather than an all-day long diet staple.
Finally, take special care to rinse your mouth with water directly after consuming something with sugar. It is also a good idea to carry floss with you, so that you can dislodge any food particles that become stuck between your teeth: especially sticky gum remnants that can hang around for a while.
If you have any questions about the ways in which your diet affects your dental health, give our Tinley Park dentists a call.