Sugary Snacks for a Healthy Sweet Tooth

Despite the wealth of information telling us how bad sugar is for our teeth and gums, once in a while even the most disciplined of us can get tempted. Rather than telling you to abstain from all sugar until the end of time, we believe in moderation and smart choices. But what does “smart choices'' really mean when it comes to sugar consumption? Read on to find out…

Feeling Fruity? Find the Balance!

Some fruit and fruit byproducts, such as juice and dried fruits, are especially bad for your teeth and gums and don’t really balance out in terms of benefits. On the other hand, crunchy fruits, such as apples and pears, have high water content that encourage saliva production, which in turn helps to wash out your mouth whilst still satisfying your sweet tooth! Strawberries, too, have balanced benefits! Yes, they’re both sugary and acidic - but strawberries also contain malic acid, which helps to whiten the appearance of your teeth (albeit only temporarily) and are chock-full of Vitamin C, which helps to strengthen your teeth and bones!

Blend it Up

The great thing about homemade smoothies is that you can control the ingredients, and therefore the sugar content! Try creating your own balance by adding ingredients that are known to improve oral health. For instance, if you’re craving a banana smoothie to satiate your sweet tooth, consider adding spinach, which is high in enamel-building calcium and folic acid, which can help stave off gum disease!

Chocolate: The Darker, The Better

For many of us chocolate is one of the snacks that comes under the “irresistible” category - and good news for all, there’s no need to resist! Although milk and white chocolate are full of sugar, dark chocolate has actually been shown to be good for your teeth! Dark chocolate, anything over 70% cocoa solids, is full of polyphenols which fight oral bacteria, and there’s even research suggesting that another compound found in dark chocolate, theobromine, can even be more effective than fluoride in fighting tooth decay!

Mitigate Negative Effects

There are times when, however much we might attempt to steer clear, eating something sugary is unavoidable. On these occasions, don’t panic! Where possible, reduce your sugar intake by adjusting the types of foods from which you get your sugars to make sure you’re doing the best by your teeth and gums. If you snack a lot at home, try to do all your snacking at once and then rinse your mouth out with water to avoid the amount of time that sugars can sit in your mouth. If you find that you snack a lot on the go, consider popping a Sonisk Pulse portable sonic toothbrush in your bag (or pocket!) and give your teeth a quick brush 30 minutes after eating to clean your mouth out!