How viral food trends influence your oral health

The internet can be a wild place, especially when it comes to food trends. Whether it’s a brand-new creative recipe or simply a combination of a few unexpected foods, you can find a video of people cooking or consuming almost anything.

What is it? Coconut water, ice and fresh berries mixed in a bowl.

This trend certainly offers some good-for-you nutrition – berries provide vitamin C to support healthy gums, and coconut water has potassium that helps your teeth and bone use calcium more efficiently.

Is it smile friendly?

This is a fun, tasty and smile-friendly treat, as long as you don’t chew the ice, which can chip your teeth, damage your enamel or loosen fillings and crowns. You can also just leave out the ice and enjoy fresh fruit mixed in coconut water.

What is it? Yogurt mixed with honey, vanilla, chopped nuts and fresh fruit, then frozen until firm.

This trend can provide quality nutrition in a crisp tasty package. The yogurt provides calcium for strong bones and teeth, and protein to help build and repair muscle. You’ll also receive vitamins from the fruit and fiber from the chopped nuts.

Is it smile friendly?

If you don’t overdo it, the nutrition in this trend can benefit your oral health. Just use a low-sugar yogurt and watch out for the honey, which is high in sugar and sticks to your teeth. Make sure you wash it down with water.

What is it? Your favorite ice cream wrapped in a fruit leather.

While you can enjoy treats in moderation, be careful with this one. Ice cream can be high in sugar and fat, while fruit leather has a high sugar content (even options that also contain vitamins). Fruit leather can also stick to your teeth and contribute to a bacteria-friendly environment that leads to cavities and tooth decay.

Is it smile friendly?

We don’t recommend you eat this one regularly. For a healthier sweet treat, try the frozen yogurt bark instead.

What is it? Coconut water, ice and fresh berries mixed in a bowl.

This trend certainly offers some good-for-you nutrition – berries provide vitamin C to support healthy gums, and coconut water has potassium that helps your teeth and bone use calcium more efficiently.

Is it smile friendly?

This is a fun, tasty and smile-friendly treat, as long as you don’t chew the ice, which can chip your teeth, damage your enamel or loosen fillings and crowns. You can also just leave out the ice and enjoy fresh fruit mixed in coconut water.

What is it? Extra-firm tofu cooked in a waffle maker until crispy, topped with cheese, pizza sauce, and veggies, and finished in the oven.

“Tofu pizza waffle” may sound like a strange combination, but it can be a crispy, melty – and healthy – treat. The key is to pick the right toppings – like bell peppers, which are rich in vitamin C, or shiitake mushrooms, which help fight bacteria that contributes to tooth decay. The tofu is gluten-free and high in protein and calcium.

Is it smile friendly?

As long as you choose healthy toppings, give this one a try. Just go easy on the pizza sauce. As an acidic food, it’s not as smile-friendly.

Internet fads are interesting to explore but they aren’t always in your best interest. Before you whip up a recipe that you find on social media, research the ingredients to make sure it’s good for you oral and overall health.