{"id":696,"date":"2017-02-13T18:38:54","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T18:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/?p=696"},"modified":"2020-09-04T07:40:34","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T07:40:34","slug":"kao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternative Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the time of this writing, Valentine\u2019s day is fast approaching, with Easter following shortly thereafter for many of us. These are holidays that are typically celebrated with lots of candy and sweets (especially chocolate) and that means one thing: lots of sugar on your teeth. Sugar is extremely tough on your teeth and gums, particularly in large amounts. Sugar can not only give oral bacteria something to feed on, but it effectively turbocharges them by providing an ideal food source. As bacteria feed on sugars, they create acids which leech minerals from tooth enamel<\/a>, which can lead to infections, disease, and eventually cavities.<\/p>\n

So, all that being said, what\u2019s the answer to healthier teeth? Well, the obvious answer is to cut sweet foods from your diet, but that can be unrealistic, not to mention an incredibly joyless and miserable experience. Ideally, you\u2019ll want to enjoy sugary foods in moderation<\/a>, replace sweet snacks with healthier choices, and do what you can to combat the effects of the sweets you and your family eat.<\/a><\/p>\n

Try Sugarless Gum<\/h2>\n

First and foremost, if you\u2019re just looking for a quick sugar fix, sugarless gum can be a godsend. Sugarless gum is sweetened with artificial sweeteners like aspartame and xylitol which don’t create the bacterial buffet that real sugars do.<\/p>\n

Sugarless gum has the added benefit of cleaning your teeth, and in some cases you can even find gum that goes to work repairing enamel and brightening your smile<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, sugarless gum is great for those trying to monitor and limit their calorie intake, or those trying to combat an anxious or nervous oral fixation<\/a> ( pen-chewers rejoice). All of this combines to make sugarless gum an excellent way to satisfy your sweet tooth without damaging your actual teeth.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fresh Fruit and Raw Vegetables<\/h2>\n

Fresh fruit is another great alternative to sugary snacks. Apples, grapes, oranges, bananas, peaches, and pears all make excellent alternatives to sugary candy bars and other sugar-heavy snacks. The amount of fructose in a piece of fruit, especially non-citrus fruit, is much lower than the amount in candy and other sweets<\/a>, and fruit comes packed with nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and strong. And while an apple a day might not keep the doctor away, it will certainly keep your dentist happy if it’s replacing other, more harmful snacks. Just be careful of how much you’re eating, as even the sugars in fruit, though there is much less of it than what you’ll find in candy, can damage your teeth. This is especially true with acidic fruits like pineapple and oranges, so make sure you’re brushing well, and using a toothpaste that helps build and strengthen enamel.<\/p>\n

Another thing you can try is fresh vegetables, particularly carrots. Carrots are dense and firm enough that munching a raw carrot, perhaps dipped in a tasty ranch dipping sauce<\/a>, or some homemade hummus<\/a>, can actually scrape away plaque and remove food particles and even some bacteria from your teeth. Celery, one of the best healthy snacks, also goes great with ranch, or sugar-free peanut butter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For something a little more filling and protein rich, try mixing fruit with some Greek yogurt<\/a> to get the sweet dessert taste you crave, without all the calories and sugar you don\u2019t need. Your teeth and your waistline will thank you. Yogurt is an excellent way to add some variety to your snacking as sugarless varieties abound at the grocery store, or you can whip some up at home for a tasty, homemade snack.<\/a><\/p>\n

Make Sweets with Sugar Substitutes<\/h2>\n

Another thing you can do is make sweets and other normally sugary foods with a healthier twist: sugar substitutes. This can include:<\/p>\n

\u25cf Sugar Free Ice-cream<\/a>
\n\u25cf Almond Cookies with Xylitol<\/a>
\n\u25cf Sugar-Free Brownies<\/a>
\n\u25cf Low-Sugar Cakes<\/a>
\n\u25cf And many more deliciously healthy snacks<\/a><\/p>\n

Combating Sugar Damage with Dr. David Kao<\/h2>\n

Dr. Kao is a dental specialist in Periodontics and Dental Implants. He is committed to helping each and every one of his patients achieve a brighter smile, and a healthier mouth. If you have questions about your oral care, or would like to set up an appointment, contact us<\/a> today to set up an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the time of this writing, Valentine\u2019s day is fast approaching, with Easter following shortly thereafter for many of us. These are holidays that are typically celebrated with lots of candy and sweets (especially chocolate) and that means one thing: lots of sugar on your teeth. Sugar is extremely tough on your teeth and gums, … Continue reading Alternative Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHealthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth - Periodontal Dentist | Dr. Kao<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The best alternatives for sugary sweets that your teeth will thank you for. Try these incredible, healthy snacks for a substitute to harmful sugar. Dr. Kao is periodontal dentist who also specializes in dental implants based in Los Angeles.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth - Periodontal Dentist | Dr. Kao\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The best alternatives for sugary sweets that your teeth will thank you for. Try these incredible, healthy snacks for a substitute to harmful sugar. Dr. Kao is periodontal dentist who also specializes in dental implants based in Los Angeles.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dental Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-02-13T18:38:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-09-04T07:40:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"davidkaodds\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"davidkaodds\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"davidkaodds\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/507124b026afe807693d045c599f1ed0\"},\"headline\":\"Alternative Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-13T18:38:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-09-04T07:40:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":704,\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/\",\"name\":\"Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth - Periodontal Dentist | Dr. Kao\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-13T18:38:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-09-04T07:40:34+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/507124b026afe807693d045c599f1ed0\"},\"description\":\"The best alternatives for sugary sweets that your teeth will thank you for. Try these incredible, healthy snacks for a substitute to harmful sugar. Dr. Kao is periodontal dentist who also specializes in dental implants based in Los Angeles.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/kao\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Alternative Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dental Blog\",\"description\":\"Dental blog Los Angeles\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.davidkaodds.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/507124b026afe807693d045c599f1ed0\",\"name\":\"davidkaodds\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6cda9aff9b480b92a18d804cd12fef21c3665ca0acbd4ca536fbe08637006a2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6cda9aff9b480b92a18d804cd12fef21c3665ca0acbd4ca536fbe08637006a2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6cda9aff9b480b92a18d804cd12fef21c3665ca0acbd4ca536fbe08637006a2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"davidkaodds\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth - Periodontal Dentist | Dr. Kao","description":"The best alternatives for sugary sweets that your teeth will thank you for. Try these incredible, healthy snacks for a substitute to harmful sugar. Dr. Kao is periodontal dentist who also specializes in dental implants based in Los Angeles.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth - Periodontal Dentist | Dr. Kao","og_description":"The best alternatives for sugary sweets that your teeth will thank you for. Try these incredible, healthy snacks for a substitute to harmful sugar. Dr. Kao is periodontal dentist who also specializes in dental implants based in Los Angeles.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/","og_site_name":"Dental Blog","article_published_time":"2017-02-13T18:38:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-09-04T07:40:34+00:00","author":"davidkaodds","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"davidkaodds","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/"},"author":{"name":"davidkaodds","@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/507124b026afe807693d045c599f1ed0"},"headline":"Alternative Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth","datePublished":"2017-02-13T18:38:54+00:00","dateModified":"2020-09-04T07:40:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/"},"wordCount":704,"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/","url":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/","name":"Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth - Periodontal Dentist | Dr. Kao","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-02-13T18:38:54+00:00","dateModified":"2020-09-04T07:40:34+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/507124b026afe807693d045c599f1ed0"},"description":"The best alternatives for sugary sweets that your teeth will thank you for. Try these incredible, healthy snacks for a substitute to harmful sugar. Dr. Kao is periodontal dentist who also specializes in dental implants based in Los Angeles.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/kao\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Alternative Healthy Snacks for Healthy Teeth"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/","name":"Dental Blog","description":"Dental blog Los Angeles","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/507124b026afe807693d045c599f1ed0","name":"davidkaodds","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cda9aff9b480b92a18d804cd12fef21c3665ca0acbd4ca536fbe08637006a2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cda9aff9b480b92a18d804cd12fef21c3665ca0acbd4ca536fbe08637006a2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6cda9aff9b480b92a18d804cd12fef21c3665ca0acbd4ca536fbe08637006a2b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"davidkaodds"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.davidkaodds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}