I’ve met four in my life. But I’ve also met hundreds who cannot eat ice cream, whether from lactose intolerance or because their teeth hurt. I’m frankly amazed that the ice cream aisle at grocery stores is larger than the meat display! And our area has free-standing stores that serve almost exclusively ice cream into the wee hours of the night…
Ice cream has two things going against it – lots of sugar and lots of cold. Teeth don’t like it either. They’ve told me. When patients come in stating to me that their teeth are temperature sensitive, my diagnosis is either decay, a broken filling, or receding gums. If none of these, the patient needs to use a fluoride rinse or gel daily, or have teeth treated for hypersensitivity.
A half cup of a popular ice cream from the grocery section contains 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 14 grams of sugar. Since it dissolves quickly in a warm mouth, it repeatedly “paints” teeth in this sugar, in every nook and cranny. A look at the coating on your tongue confirms this.
I would prefer to have patients purchase a “smoothie” with natural yogurt cultures and fresh fruits as flavoring. Better yet, teach family members how to make them as a snack at home!
Contact Winterset Dental to schedule your appointment.