Do you have a sweet tooth? Join the club! No one confuses dessert with healthy food, but for many of our patients at David Rice DDS in Elgin, it’s not realistic to recommend avoiding sugary treats.
If you fit that category, here is something useful to know: eating sweets at certain times is better for your teeth than others. For instance, when you eat a full meal, your saliva production increases. 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. Sweets 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 your 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 before bed!
At David Rice DDS in Elgin, our services include general and family dentistry. People from Bartlet, South Elgin, and Wayne also come to our practice for restorative dentistry services. Call to schedule your next checkup today!
Contact David A. Rice, DDS:
847-741-2353
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1972 Larkin Ave Ste 1
Elgin, Illinois
60123