Crunch, Munch, Decay: How Snacking Affects Your Smile

Bad snacking can harm your oral health because it exposes your teeth to sugar and acids that can lead to cavities and other problems. When you eat unhealthy snacks like chips, candy, cookies, or drink sugary sodas and sports drinks, the bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar. This produces acid that attacks your tooth enamel, which is the hard outer layer of your teeth. Over time, these acid attacks can cause cavities, leading to pain and even tooth loss.

Sticky and starchy snacks, like gummies and crackers, are especially harmful because they can get stuck between your teeth and are harder to clean away. This gives bacteria more time to cause damage. Even healthy-sounding snacks, like dried fruit and flavored yogurt, can contain hidden sugars that increase your risk of tooth decay.

Frequent snacking is also bad because it keeps your mouth in a constant acid state, preventing saliva from doing its job of washing away food particles and protecting your teeth. Instead of unhealthy snacks, choose tooth-friendly options like fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheese, and water. Drinking water instead of sugary drinks helps rinse your mouth and keep your teeth healthy.