The fourth category includes potato chips and refined starchy snacks. Refined starches, like those found in traditional potato chips, are quickly broken down by salivary enzymes into simple sugars almost immediately upon chewing. Furthermore, the tiny, sharp remnants of these snacks have a frustrating tendency to become lodged between teeth and pack into the gumline. If not meticulously removed through diligent flossing, these trapped remnants provide a prolonged source of simple carbohydrates for decay-causing bacteria.
