I’m not going to say ice cream is healthy for you, because it is not.

Ice cream has lots of sugar. It has the capacity to cause cavities.

But it won’t.

That is because cavities are caused by time simple carbohydrates touch teeth more than any other factor. If you think about it, an apple, which is considered good for your teeth, has sugar in it as well. So does a smoothie. The reason that dentists are not clamoring for kids to eat less apples or smoothies is because the sugar in apples and smoothies isn’t sticky. The sugar and acids rinse away in about 20 minutes.

When it comes to the bacteria in your mouth, they can’t really tell the difference between the sugar in an apple or ice cream. Obviously an apple is healthier because of the vitamin C and fiber, but once there is a certain amount of sugar, it is all the same to the bacteria.

So, if you are going to have dessert anyways that isn’t fresh fruit, stick with ice cream instead of something worse, such as almost any other candy, or even dried fruit. Most candies stay in the mouth much longer than an apple or ice cream, and are not with a meal anyways. Dried fruit, even though healthy, sticks to the teeth for longer. Raisins once a day are okay, just not all day long. Kind of like ice cream. Don’t eat that all day long either.

Saying no to all sugars isn’t very practical. Knowing where you can give in a little and stay cavity free is practical. Don’t feel so guilty about ice cream. That is what I give my kids, and I am a crazy dentist.