Most dentists, like Dr. Eric Siani DMD of Palmdale, California, tell their patients to refrain from sugary snacks between meals. However, it’s not just sugar-loaded snacks like candies and chocolates that cause tooth decay, adds Dr. Eric Siani DMD. Sweeteners like fructose and honey react in the mouth like sugars and even starchy snacks like potato chips break down into sugars once ingested.

According to Dr. Eric Siani DMD, the problem with sugars is that they turn into enamel-eating acids once they mix with bacteria in the mouth. Once that protective layer of enamel is dissolved from the teeth, cavities start. Obviously, Dr. Eric Siani DMD points out, the less sugar a person eats, the less enamel-eating acid is produced.