With the hot summer months ahead, many Americans are now turning to desserts to cool off from the heat. Seasonal favorites include ice cream, frozen custard, frozen yogurt, soda floats, and fruit pops. While these might make your taste buds sing, most desserts are nothing but bad news for your teeth. Desserts contain high amounts of sugar and fructose corn syrup, which bacteria in your mouth feed on to produce enamel-decaying acid.

 

But maybe you have earned your desserts this year. Maybe you have a picky sweet tooth and are craving a summer dessert to cool off. Believe it or not, here are a few desserts which are actually healthy for your teeth! While it’s certainly not as beneficial as drinking milk or water, these desserts offer some things that more traditional summer options can not.

 

Real Fruit Smoothies

One of America’s classic desserts is a milkshake. While the dairy in a milkshake provides a wonderful source of calcium, which is excellent for your teeth, the benefit is cancelled out by the drink’s high sugar content. Even “plain” vanilla milkshakes can have enough sugar to give mouth bacteria a field day. If you crave something like a milkshake this summer, try experimenting with real fruit smoothies at home. Toss some yogurt and low-fat milk with sweet fruit, such as strawberries and bananas into a blender. You will end up with a creamy dessert that not only is full of calcium and vitamins, but a dessert that satisfies your sweet tooth in a healthy way.

 

Yogurt Popsicles

Are you more of a popsicle person? Unfortunately, popsicles are a major culprit in the summer dessert catalog. Packed with sugar, these treats offer nothing remotely beneficial to your teeth. Thankfully, a healthy alternative exists: yogurt popsicles. Similar to real fruit smoothies, yogurt popsicles contain teeth-enriching calcium. Additionally, yogurt stimulates saliva generation in your mouth, which helps protect against tooth decay. Be sure to either make your own yogurt popsicles or purchase ones that are low in sugar and contain real fruit.

 

Real Fruit Popsicles

If you are seeking a non-dairy dessert, then a real fruit popsicle might be an option for you. Traditional popsicles are packed full of teeth-degrading sugar. Popsicles that contain real fruit, on the other hand, can help your teeth rather than hinder them. 100% real fruit juice (juice not sweetened by manufacturers) contains a healthy dose of vitamins and antioxidants.

 

We would be delighted to answer any other questions you may have concerning healthy food and beverage options. Contact Greenspoint Dental today.