Sweet Tooth? The Low-Impact Desserts You Should Know About

Many times we, as parents, avoid letting our kids indulge in sweets. The main concern is that their teeth will suffer. Is it possible to let them enjoy a treat, order a dessert, or eat something sweet without causing dental damage?

Dietitian Dr. Maya Roseman was asked on her radio show on 103FM about sugars and sweets detrimental to teeth health. "The question is whether some are less harmful while others are more so?" She answered, "After consulting with a dentist, the answer is clear – ice cream and chocolate do affect teeth, but to a lesser extent. The most harmful are those that stick to teeth, get into the gaps between them and linger there, like pretzels, Bamba, and taffy candies."

"Although ice cream and chocolate are harmful because of the sugar, the saliva in the mouth washes away the remnants after a few minutes, so they harm less," Dr. Roseman added. "Ice cream has benefits like high protein content nearly comparable to dairy products, and chocolate has cocoa benefits – containing antioxidants that combat heart disease and cancer, delay aging processes, and even improve mood."

When asked what to do if you want to consume these sweets and still minimize tooth damage, her answer was simple: "Choose sugar-free dairy ice cream and sugar-free chocolate. These won’t spike blood sugar levels and are suitable even for those with a predisposition to diabetes. Some ice creams contain sweeteners considered non-harmful to health, and most sugar-free chocolates have sweeteners like maltitol, which is natural and also harmless to health."