The Dental Blog

National Ice Cream Day: Is Ice cream harmful to my teeth?

IT’S SUMMERTIME! And our local ice cream shops have lines of customers pouring out of their shop waiting for their favorite flavor of ice cream. July 15th is National Ice Cream Day, a day we celebrate ice cream. We know how good it tastes and how refreshing it can be on a nice hot summer day. Ice cream seems harmless but unfortunately can cause a lot of damage to your dental health.

Ice cream consists of A LOT of sugar, that is why it tastes so delicious and can be addictive.
Surgery foods, such as ice cream can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Especially when it is consumed more frequently and without good oral hygiene.

The not so good effects from eating ice cream:

• Cause tooth decay or gum disease
• Weight gain
• Hardening of arteries
• Teeth Sensitivity from the cold – this may indicate you have unhealthy gums or cavities. You should see a dentist immediately. They will make sure you do not have any other complications occurring in your mouth.

For some people, avoiding ice cream is not even imaginable. If you must eat ice cream, try to refrain from eating so much of it and not as often. You can help your teeth by brushing and flossing immediately after you consume ice cream; this will remove the sugary substance. If not taken care of properly, the germs in plaque on your teeth will turn into acid and cause decay.   If you cannot brush your teeth, at least drink water to rinse your mouth until you are able to get to your toothbrush.

Regular check-ups to the dentist are important because:

• Teeth cleanings are needed to remove the plaque that you cannot get between the tooth and under the gum line.
• & Regular dental checks ups catch any cavities while they are still small to avoid major dental problems that may have been caused by eating sugary foods.