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You’ve heard it all your life, you shouldn’t have too much sugar because it’s bad for your teeth. Obviously, sugar isn’t good for your teeth, but did you know there’s a right way and a wrong way to eat it? In a perfect world, we’d all be able to have sugar-free diets. But we live in the real world and we all deserve a treat once in a while. So here are some ideas on how to eat sugary treats without it having a big impact on your oral hygiene.
Don’t Brush Right After Eating
It seems counter-intuitive, but it’s actually not good to brush your teeth right after eating something sweet. Many sweets and dessert foods are acidic, which temporarily softens the top layer of your teeth. If you brush during this time you can actually hurt your teeth and start to destroy them. It’s best to wait at least 30 minutes after eating a sweet before brushing your teeth. The easiest and most effective way to brush the sugar and acidity away is with an automatic toothbrush, such as the AutoBrush. The AutoBrush is a hands-free automatic toothbrush that is built with a 360-degree brush head, designed to reach spots and remove plaque and sugar more effectively than regular brushes.
Try to Eat Your Sweets During a Real Meal
If you eat your sugary treat along with other food, and a beverage like water, it’s more likely for that sugar will get removed from your teeth. The foods from your meal will actually help brush off the acidity when you chew. Although it seems counterintuitive, an ideal time to have a treat would be alongside lunch or dinner, instead of after. This way the sugar doesn’t sit on your teeth.
Eat Something That Won’t Stay in Your Mouth
The longer the sweet is in your mouth, the worse off your teeth are. Something like a jolly rancher that you have to suck on is horrible for your teeth because it’s exposed to the sugar for that entire duration. Whereas eating a cookie is not nearly as bad because you’re done eating it in a matter of seconds.
Rinse Your Mouth After
Don’t forget to rinse your mouth out with water! Just like you’d rinse after brushing your teeth, rinsing your mouth with water after a treat can help remove some of the leftover acid. Remember, if this acid is allowed to sit on your teeth it can not only start to rot them but cause bad breath. If you want to know what kinds of foods are the worst for your breath, check out our post on bad breath foods.
Better Treats
You wouldn’t expect it, but cheese is surprisingly good for your teeth, as it protects from tooth decay and even neutralizes remaining acid in your mouth. Wine and cheese anyone? Crackers made without flour are far better for your teeth than regular crackers.
Change Your Brush Head
Worn out brushes are simply not effective at properly cleaning teeth. If that’s not bad enough, worn brushes can actually damage tooth enamel. It’s important to stay on top of changing your brush head. Investing into a brush like The AutoBrush makes it easy to replace brush heads when you need to, with extra brush heads always available to restock on.
Remember to keep the good sugars in and the bad sugars out, and you’ll be in good shape.
