It's Not What You Eat; It's How Often

This is the time of year everyone is giving you advice on eating. And this is no exception. But we aren't as concerned about how living off of hors d'ouevres or having that extra piece of pie will impact your waistline. We're concerned that the constant availability of food, especially during the holiday season, will wear out your teeth.


It can be confusing trying to make sense of the information about eating regular meals and avoiding foods that increase your risk for caries, especially when the trend is to snack throughout the day. Some weight-loss diets recommend eating five or six small meals a day.

Saliva washes harmful bacteria off your teeth and helps neutralize decay-causing acid, but snacking overwhelms your saliva. Consequently, when you constantly snack, your teeth are bathed in bacteria-produced acid all day long, putting you at high risk for tooth decay. Every time you eat, it takes your saliva about 20 minutes to put your mouth back into balance. If you are constantly eating, you don’t give your mouth enough time to recover from the acid attack.


When you snack, snack wisely. We recommend that you choose foods and beverages that have a low caries risk (low sugar and not acidic). And don't forget that beverages can be treacherous. That gingerbread, cocoa, egg nog latte with the chocolate snowflake may look like a harmless holiday indulgence, but those fancy coffee drinks can have as much as 69 grams of sugar. And you know sugar feeds cavity-causing bacteria. Consume foods made with the three natural sugars that prevent caries: tagatose, isomalt and xylitol.

Tagatose is sold under the name Naturlose, which is also a healthy sugar for diabetics. Naturlose foods include candy, cocoa, ice cream, powdered milk, yogurt, cheese, fruit juices and diet soft drinks.
Isomalt is a common ingredient in diabetic foods and candies.

Xylitol, a natural sugar found in some plants, is used in several foods, gum, candy, and lozenges.
The American Diabetes Association states that sugar alcohols such as isomalt, maltitol and xylitol contain fewer calories and carbohydrates than regular sugars. Look for products marketed as "no sugar added."
Of course, your best strategy is to minimize snacking and eat regular meals; brush at least twice each day with fluoride toothpaste, and floss at least once each day. In a pinch, chew a piece of xylitol or other sugar-free gum after the snack.

Enjoy the holidays. Eat, drink, but be wary of constant indulgence. Pace yourself. That's good advice for any time of year.

Houston dentist
Minh Nguyen, D.D.S.