March 30, 2021
We all are aware of the importance of a good diet for the health of our teeth.
But whatever we eat, first comes in contact with the teeth and oral cavity. Not all kinds of food items that go there are good for them.
Many bad foods have ingredients that build plaque, erode the enamel, and cause tooth decay besides affecting gum health.
Plaque can create all types of dental issues for you.
Whenever you eat or drink something, you only consider its nutritional value or taste to be important.
However, to enjoy eating and drinking all that stuff, you must also consider the effect they are having on your dental health.
Let us have a look at the bad foods for the teeth.
Carbonated Drinks
Everyone enjoys the sodas and those chilled beverages and pretty often. Most of these drinks are sugary and acidic, very bad for your teeth, and form a coating on the teeth that cause tooth decay.
But most importantly, cola drinks are acidic which is detrimental to the tooth enamel. Enamel is the covering on each tooth that protects it.
Carbonated drinks make a coating on the enamel and weaken it. Replace them with water or smoothies.
If you have to, better to drink them with a straw, avoiding contact with the teeth, or alongside water and you must rinse your mouth immediately after consuming.
Sticky Foods
Sugar-laden fares that cling to your teeth can play havoc inside your mouths, such as dried fruits, candies, cakes, and raisins.
They stick to the teeth and in between for a long time and become an energy supply for harmful bacteria to breed.
You can opt for sugarless gum, fruits, and natural sweets instead.
Also, you must floss and brush carefully after eating them, otherwise, they would be there for hours.
Foods High in Sugar
Although we all know that sweets are bad for teeth, we do not know why it is so.
Sugars promote bad bacteria in the mouth because bacteria feed on sugars to create acids that eat on teeth and make cavities for them to thrive.
Chocolates and ice creams have a high sugar content- often the first stage in the cycle of cavities.
One cannot abolish all sweet dishes from the diet, but one must follow the cleansing routine. At least do brushing after each sweet meal.
Also, drink plenty of water.
Also Read: Benefits of Flossing your Teeth
Hard Candies
Dental enamel is the hardest substance on earth, but still, it cannot withstand too much abuse from constant munching on hard things.
Some People have a habit of chewing on betel nuts, ice, hard candy, unpopped popcorn, and even ice.
There is always a risk of chipping or breaking off a piece of a tooth and triggering a dental emergency.
Please be kind and avoid munching on very hard foods.
Citrus Fruits
No doubt citrus fruits and juices are loaded with Vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants, but they also contain acid which can erode the tooth enamel.
Moreover, they also irritate mouth sores. Among the citric fruits, grapefruit and lemon are very high in acid, more than oranges.
Drink a lot of water and avoid twisting the drinks with lemon slices.
Tea and Coffee
Continual consumption of tea and coffee stains the teeth, apart from the fact that most people take it with sugar.
Don’t you feel thirsty after drinking them? It is because the tannins in them dry out your mouth, depleting the saliva.
Alcohol
People who consume alcohol on a regular basis are very likely to lose their teeth to decay.
Alcoholic beverages cause serious damage to oral health. Alcohol dehydrates the mouth and reduces the secretion of saliva, which is a protector of oral health.
It leads to severe issues like tooth decay and gum disorders. The cocktails are even worse, with added sugar in the form of juices or citric fruits.
And what is worse, heavy alcohol consumption also broadens your risk of mouth cancer.
What You Can Do
To minimize the problem of some of the above substances, the best way to go is to consume them as part of a meal and not alone (red tomatoes and lemons).
Use straws for acidic drinks. And remember, if you have eaten acidic food, do not brush immediately afterward.
Wait for at least twenty minutes. And yes- rinse, rinse, rinse.
Contact the best dentist in Kirkland Premier Dentistry.
