Enjoy These 6 Summer Snacks for Healthy and Happy Teeth

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Bloor West Smiles • 0 Comments
As much as we look forward to summer, this season can be hard on your teeth. Hot temperatures cause dehydration, which increases your chance of developing dry mouth and tooth decay. Plus, most common summer snacks are filled with sugar. Increased sugar consumption is bad for your oral health. Sugar residue sticks to your teeth and along the gum line, resulting in plaque and acid that eats away at your tooth enamel. Consequently, it’s very important to be mindful of your sugar intake and choose healthier snacks instead. To help you do this, we will suggest six refreshing and tasty summer snack ideas that promote tooth health, not harm it!

Whole fruits

Whole fruits are great summer snacks since their high water content helps you stay hydrated. They’re also full of important vitamins and minerals, many of which are vital for strong and healthy teeth. Plus, fruit is naturally sweet. It’s a healthy way to satisfy your sugar cravings on hot days, without compromising your oral or overall health. Unlike processed sugary snacks, fruit contains dietary fibre. When you take a bite of an apple or pear, for example, the fibre provides a little scrubbing action for your teeth. This helps clean your teeth as you eat. The water in the fruit, meanwhile, washes away much of the sugars that could otherwise stick to your teeth. Since you’re more hydrated, your mouth is producing enough saliva to flush lingering sugars and residue effectively. Apples, pears, watermelons, grapes, bananas, oranges,

pineapples, cantaloupes, mangos, and berries all make for tasty summer snacks. You can eat these raw or chop up a variety to make a fruit salad. Try drizzling orange juice over the fruit salad to add moisture and increase its deliciousness. Alternatively, place fruit into the freezer for a cold, tasty treat. Grapes, berries, bananas, and pineapples taste wonderful frozen. They’re also extra refreshing—like a natural mini-popsicle. Just be careful; you don’t want to bite into anything too frozen. You could damage your teeth.