Do you have a sweet tooth? Join the club! No one confuses dessert with healthy food, but for many of our patients at Sundance Dental & Orthodontics in Rio Rancho and Farmington, NM, it’s not always realistic to recommend avoiding sugary treats.
If you fit that category, here is something valuable: eating sweets at certain times is better for your teeth than others. For instance, your saliva production increases when you eat a full meal. Saliva is necessary to neutralize acids and rinse bits of food off of teeth.
That means that sweets consumed after meals have a lower risk to your teeth because your mouth is already in optimum cleansing mode. Therefore, candies after meals are preferable to sweets eaten between meals as snacks.
Additionally, remember that the type of treat is as important as when you eat it. We constantly remind our patients that sticky candies stay on their teeth for a long time, even when your saliva is flowing. And hard candies that you suck for an extended time give bacteria a perfect environment to create dangerous enamel-weakening acids.
A good choice? Chocolate! A lot of our patients are happy to hear that. Plain old chocolate (no nuts, no chewy inside) melts quickly away and won’t stick to your teeth. Just be sure to brush!
At Sundance Dental & Orthodontics in Rio Rancho and Farmington, NM, our services include complete family dentistry, and we are a holistic practice. Call us to schedule your next checkup today!
505-308-2153
6588 E Main St
Farmington, New Mexico
87402
