You know that the more sugar you eat throughout the day, the more often your mouth becomes an acid environment that essentially attacks your teeth. The more frequently these acid attacks occur, the greater your chance of experiencing tooth decay. Good news: You’re not the only person in the universe who has a major penchant for all things sugary. Even better news? We have some helpful suggestions that will keep you from over-indulging, so you can feel good about your efforts in protecting your oral health.
Make Access Difficult
If you keep candy, cookies, or other treats out in plain sight, you are likely to eat them as you pass by. Or, you are likely to intentionally pass by them, so you can eat a bit more. Rather than making it so easy to access sugary things and damage your oral health, we encourage you to make it a little more difficult. For instance, place the candy on a shelf that requires some serious reaching. Place good-for-your-teeth snacks (think cheese, milk, veggies, water) in a convenient location. If you’re in the mood to snack, you’ll be more likely to grab what’s convenient and avoid the sugar.
Change Your Approach
If you’re someone who loves sweet treats, you’re probably not going to give up sugar altogether. This is okay! However, we suggest that you consider that there’s a better way to eat sugary food – and then a not-so-great way. The “bad” approach is snacking on it consistently throughout the day. This exposes your teeth to an acid environment almost without stop. Instead, eat your dessert with your meals only or choose one time of the day to indulge. To protect your oral health one step further, rinse and brush after eating sugar (just remember that it’s important to rinse, wait 30 minutes, and then pull out the toothbrush and paste).