Is Eating on the Run Ruining your Teeth?

Eating on the run can cause problems for teeth and gums. Now that school is in session, it’s tough to get your kids and your partner back on a healthy eating schedule.

According to the Glen Dental Center in Glenview Ill, making things fast and easy is the key. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the best thing for teeth and gums.

Why Eating on The Run is a Problem

In most households across the United States, families wake up; pack lunches get them prepared for school and ready to go on time. Kids usually get a bowl of cereal while mom, not dad of course, skips breaking his or her fast all together. If time permits, a muffin or bagel may be grabbed on the way to the office.

It Just Gets Worse

The end of the day doesn’t get any better. The adults in the household will often stop by the store to pick up some snacks before chauffeuring the children to music school or the soccer field. With so much to do, it’s often hard to eat healthy.

By the end of the day most families resort to prepackaged meals or takeout for the evening meal followed by sweet treats for dessert.

Why Convenience Food is Bad

Your dentist in Chicago explains that convenience foods are loaded with sugar. Energy bars, breakfast cereals, and meal replacement shakes increase your risk of cavities. Bacteria will feed on the sugar converting it to acid. Those acids will cause dental caries. Don’t forget that sugar is sugar regardless of its state. Natural or not, it is still sugar. However, it’s not just the sugary foods that cause issues.

Starchy and refined carbs from crackers, chips, pasta, and bread are bad for teeth, as starches will linger on your teeth breaking down into decay causing simple sugars that have been converted to bacteria and acid.

Dr. Jeffry Gilmor from the Glenview Dental Center in Glenview recommends these healthy tips for teeth and gums.

1. Think of snack time as a mini mealtime. Go for whole foods and nutrient rich snacks like low fat dairy, veggies and non-citrus fruits.
2. When you plan ahead, you can stay healthy. Keep ready to eat carrots, celery, nuts, and cheese on hand.
3. Kick the breakfast cereal to the curb and start the day with oatmeal or yogurt for a quick morning meal.
4. Eat apples, celery, and carrots that stimulate salivary gland flow. Crisp fruits are loaded with vitamins and minerals that help remove food particles and plaque.
5. Yogurt and cheese are easy to pack and portable. Not only do they supply vitamins and calcium, but also build strong bones and teeth.
6. Make sure that you include a straw with the juice box to minimize acidic contact with the teeth.
7. Rinse your mouth or brush with toothpaste after snacking or having a meal.

If you would like more information regarding healthy eating, and teeth and gums, call or click and schedule an appointment with the Glen Dental Center in Glenview today.