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Before
you start munching on a snack, ask yourself what's in the food
you've chosen. Is it loaded with sugar? If it is, think again.
Another choicewould be better for your teeth. And keep in mind
that certain kinds of sweets can do more damage than others.
Gooey or chewy sweets spend more time sticking to the surface
of your teeth. Because sticky snacks stay in your mouth longer
than foods that you quickly chew and swallow, they give your
teeth a longer sugar bath.
You
should also think about when and how often you eat snacks. Do
you nibble on sugary snacks many times throughout the day, or
do you usually just havedessert after dinner? Damaging acids
form in your mouth every time you eat a sugary snack. The acids
continue to affect your teeth for at least 20 minutes before
they are neutralized and can't do any more harm. So, the more
times you eat sugary snacks during the day, the more often you
feed bacteria the fuel they need to cause tooth decay.
If
you eat sweets, it's best to eat them as dessert after a main
meal instead of several times a day between meals. Whenever
you eat sweets -- in anymeal or snack -- brush your teeth well
with a fluoride toothpaste afterward.
When you're deciding
about snacks, think about:
- the number
of times a day you eat sugary snacks
- how long
the sugary food stays in your mouth
- the texture
of the sugary food (chewy? sticky?)
If
you snack after school, before bedtime, or other times during
the day, choose something without a lot of sugar or fat. There
are lots of tasty, filling snacks that are less harmful to your
teeth -- and the rest of your body -- than foods loaded with
sugars and low in nutritional value. Snack smart!
Low-fat
choices like raw vegetables, fresh fruits, or whole-grain crackers
or bread are smart choices. Eating the right foods can help
protect you from tooth decay and other diseases. Next time you
reach for a snack, pick a food from the list inside or make
up your own menu of non-sugary, low-fat snack foods from the
basic food groups.
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