What does that mean?
It’s not only WHAT you eat but HOW you eat that affects your decay rate.
If you are a frequent eater (lots of snacking or multiple small meals throughout the day) you are at risk for getting cavities.
Bacteria that live on your teeth are always looking for that next meal. When you eat, they eat. After bacteria digest food, they excrete acid. In crude terms, we call that bug poop. Millions of bacteria doing this over and over on your teeth ultimately will cause enamel to “cavitate” or make a hole.
The bacteria favorite thing to eat is carbohydrates. The simpler the better. Some examples include crackers, cereal, chips and of course candy. With liquid things, the biggest offender is soda pop followed by juice. On the food spectrum, protein, fruit and vegetables are much kinder to the teeth as is water and plain milk.
From a dental standpoint, the best way to avoid this pitfall is to reduce your frequency of eating or drinking. In the mean time, brushing after you eat something is the ideal way to reduce the the bacteria having a party on your teeth.
The bottom line is more eating should equal more brushing!
