DESSERTS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR YOUR TEETH

Who doesn’t like dessert? Yes, everyone doesn’t like the same dessert, some prefer pie to cake for example, but dessert is always a welcome way to end a meal, particularly a holiday meal.

Desserts come in many forms. Some are store-bought, some are made entirely from scratch and others are made with mixes bought at the grocery store.

All desserts are not the same either. Some are sweet, some are chocolate, some contain fruit, but are bathed in sugary ingredients and then there are simple yet flavorful fruit cups or vegetable trays. What all of these desserts have in common is that they affect your teeth. Regardless of the dessert, one habit you should get into is to brush your teeth after you eat your dessert.

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A DESSERT?

When you are the dessert creator, you should carefully review the ingredients if you want to prepare a dessert that is tooth healthy. Certain ingredients are particularly bad for your teeth and will make it easier for decay-causing bacteria to develop.

This is also true of the snacks you buy for your household. The ingredients you should try to avoid always include sugar. But some ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup and sucrose, a fancy name for sugar, should be avoided.

Starchy snacks like potato chips also break down more easily into sugars. Sticky and chewy foods such as those that contain caramel should be avoided because they stick to your teeth and your saliva can’t wash them away.

WHAT IS HEALTHY FOR YOUR TEETH?

As broad groups think of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole-grain snacks. These would include baked, not fired tortilla chips, plain crackers, unbuttered popcorn, low-salt pretzels or plain bagels. Low-fat yogurt and cheese are good as are various nuts and seeds. Trail mixes combine many of these ingredients but watch for any ingredient added to sweeten it.