Have you started counting down the days to Halloween? We have! It is truly a super fun time of the year and many people really enjoy the whole fun and scary aspects of it. Now when it comes to scary aspects many people don’t think about their teeth as much as they probably should. Normally, we make it a point this time of year to stress the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene to prevent damage to teeth (or dental gear) while enjoying extra treats. However, did you know sugary drinks are a commonly overlooked culprit of tooth decay? Whether your children are trying to stay hydrated playing sports or want to enjoy juice at home, you should definitely keep an eye on the labels if you want to keep their teeth healthy.
One of the drinks you need to make sure to be careful of is Vitamin water. Drinks with the word “vitamin” in the name aren’t always as healthy as they may let on. Before you grab your kids’ vitamin water, you should know that a regular 20-ounce bottle has 31 grams of sugar. For comparison, a regular size Snicker bar has only 27 grams. That is truly unhealthy and can really make a big impact on your teeth.
Gatorade is another common go-to drink for kids who are active in sports. Unfortunately, they may not be the best choice for post-exercise rehydration either. While it can vary between flavors, a typical 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade averages 34 grams of sugar. Yikes. Grape juice.
I often treat to tooth decay as a result of parents giving toddlers various “healthy” fruit juices at home. Grape juice contains more sugar than almost any other type of juice. A 12-ounce glass of grape juice contains more than 58 grams of sugar. That’s 20 grams more than a can of Coke!
Lemonade is not as healthy as you may think. Ahh. One summertime favorite, Lemonade, is absolutely loaded in sugar. A regular 20-ounce bottle has about 67 grams of sugar. Surprising, isn’t it? Our entire staff wants all of our patients (young and old) to be able to enjoy some sugary treats not only during Halloween but also year-round. Just make sure to brush your teeth after meals, after eating all those yummy fall treats, and after drinking sugary drinks to keep your teeth and dental gear in great shape.
What you need to do is to make sure you are keeping up with really good habits to help keep these possible drinks from hurting your dental health on a regular basis. What you need to do is to have a really good habit and dental routine in place to help fight these bad drinks and other things you may accidentally slip into your diet. This means that you should be using a protective toothpaste twice a day for up to two minutes on each brushing. This will help clean your mouth and keep it protected.
But you should also try and drink a lot of water during the day. Water can rinse away bad things in your mouth and help your own body produce saliva by being hydrated. So make sure you are keeping your mouth healthy and safe by drinking a little extra water.
Easy Dental Hygiene 