Worst Foods for Your Teeth
When it comes to keeping your teeth healthy and strong, what you eat matters. Some foods are healthful and helpful, while others could cause harm, especially if you consume them regularly. Avoiding certain foods, or consuming them sparingly, could go a long way in maintaining a healthy mouth.
Sugar
As far as the worst foods for your teeth, sugar is the first ingredient to avoid. Bacteria in your mouth feeds on sugar, producing acid, and ultimately causing cavities. Foods full of sugar, such as sweets, desserts, candies, and more are obvious culprits. In addition, you may also want to avoid starchy foods, like chips or white breads. Starch breaks down into simple sugars in your mouth, which can be just as damaging. Sugar is a sneaky ingredient, found in any range of foods. Check the ingredients on preserved or packaged foods. To keep your teeth healthy, choose low or no sugar options.
Acids
As mentioned, acid on your teeth can wear down the enamel and cause painful cavities. You can decrease the chance of such problems by avoiding additional acids. Citrus fruits and juices for instance can cover your teeth in citric acid. In addition, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables can be acidic, even as they are good for your overall health. Use them as ingredients or in a whole form, rather than the juice or concentrate, to avoid too much acid exposure.
Hard Foods
To keep your teeth strong, avoid hard foods that could cause cracking, chipping or breaking. Hard candies or other such foods, chewed on aggressively, can cause sudden damage to your teeth. Habits such as chewing ice, which may not seem dangerous, can cause incremental damage. Even small cracks can be incredibly painful and can expand or extend. If you suspect any cracks or breaks in your teeth, call your dentist for advice immediately.
Food That Sticks Around
Any food can be bad for your teeth if it spends too long in your mouth. Food sitting into your mouth or stuck between your teeth can harbor bacteria and lead to cavities. This is especially problematic with sweet, sticky foods like caramels or dried fruits or foods you hold in your mouth like hard candies or sugary gums. To avoid this, limit your intake of those types of treats. When you do consume them, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water or brush and floss soon after to remove particles stuck between your teeth.
Choosing low sugar, healthful snacks and foods can improve your oral health and your overall well-being. When you do indulge, keep your mouth and teeth clean to limit any damage. If you have any specific questions about favorite foods that might be bad for your teeth, speak with your dentist. He or she can offer insight, and maybe some alternatives.
If you have any questions for us, call and make an appointment or fill out our contact form.
At Smiles Dental, we are doing dentistry differently. We understand that dentistry isn’t one size fits all and refuse to compromise on delivering the highest quality of care. We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to your dental care and we would like to thank you for entrusting your oral health to us.
