The fewer sweets and sugary drinks you consume, the better your oral health will be — an axiom long recommended by dentists. That may be hard for sweets-minded people, but you want to avoid cavities.
As you age, giving up sweets is going to get harder. This is because people’s taste buds, which determine things like salt and spice, start to lose their power as they get older. However, the sugar-sensitive taste sensation is the last to go, which is why many elderly people eat more sweets, as they can actually taste sweets while all other foods become bland.
Even if you have a sweet tooth, you can protect your teeth. Do the following:
- Designate times when you will have sweets or sugar-based drinks.
Instead of munching throughout the day, establish a timetable for sweet items. For example, you might resolve to have something sweet in the afternoon or at night after dinner. It gives you a treat to look forward to and lowers your overall sugar intake. Identifying when you eat sweets will help you use oral health care to follow up on consumption as needed to lessen the impact. - If you indulge in something sweet or sticky, brush your teeth.
This will eliminate the bacteria remaining behind. Just be gentle so you don’t hurt your teeth and gums. - Chew sugarless gum.
Because it has a sweet flavor, sugarless gum is an excellent means of cutting down on the need for sugar. Chewing it a lot is good because it increases saliva, helping reduce cavity risk, as saliva washes bacteria and food debris out of the mouth. - Try an antibacterial mouthwash.
An antibacterial mouthwash or rinse can help reduce teeth issues for those with sugar cravings if they make it a part of their oral health care routine. It removes residues left by sweet treats and kills bacteria that cause cavities. - Stay away from sticky sugars.
Not just sugary snacks, but sticky sugars. Sticky sugars stay on teeth, are challenging to wash away, or brush off, and that makes them the worst offender for teeth issues. Sticky-sugar items include raisins, taffy, hard candies, and peanut butter. Avoid cavities by reducing these foods in your diet. - Replace sugary beverages with water.
Better protect your teeth by drinking water instead of sports drinks and soda. Water is not only healthier but will wash away food debris, sugars, and bacteria. It’s a simple switch — order water at a restaurant instead of soda. Your restaurant bill will be lower and your teeth will be healthier! Reducing sugar and caffeine will lower your risk for other health problems like obesity and kidney stones too.
You don’t have to make drastic changes to protect your teeth from your sweet cravings. Changing a few daily habits will do much to protect your teeth. Contact us for more information on preventing cavities! We can set an appointment for an exam to see if there are any problems to be aware of.