In the same way that some foods are less than ideal for keeping your body in check, there are various foods that are awful for you before they even hit your stomach! In fact, even foods that nourish your body can be awful for your teeth. We’ve compiled a list of foods that cause tooth decay.
White Bread
There’s nothing quite as delicious as a piece of toasted white bread with a little butter. Unfortunately, your teeth can’t help contradicting your taste buds. White bread is packed full of sugar. As you chew, that delicious bread becomes a sticky, sugary paste that adheres to your teeth and gets into your gums. If you’re not a diligent brusher, these sugars can cause cavities! While you’re choosing your bread, go for types that aren’t as high in refined sugar as others. Whole grain, sprouted grain, or seeded loaves of bread are a better choice nutritionally, and they are much less sugary than ordinary white bread.
Sour Candy
Sour, sweet confections are certainly a fan favorite. We eat them in movie theaters, on car trips, and even while we’re sitting at our desk at work. While these sweets might taste like fruit, they’re really one of the worst offenders with regards to your teeth. Sour candies contain added substances like citric acid and various types of ingredients that are harsh on teeth. Acidic foods wear away the enamel on your teeth, making them more delicate to temperature changes and more susceptible to cavities. In all honesty, chocolate is a better choice since it dissolves quickly and rinses away without any problem.
Ice
Ice could never be bad for you. It’s simply frozen water, calorie and additive free. Think again!! Chewing ice causes excessive wear and tear on your teeth. Crunching down on a fresh ice block can harm the enamel on your teeth. It’s even possible to crack or chip your teeth while eating ice. We’ve even seen crowns become loose as a consequence of avid ice chewing! If you find yourself craving ice, it could be an aftereffect of low iron. In any case, take it from us: Spinach and other iron-rich foods are a far more effective way to satisfy your craving without breaking a tooth.
Carbonated Drinks
Soda, pop, whatever you choose to call it, is not good for your teeth. New studies suggest that it can be as terrible as certain illicit drugs. The acid in carbonated soft drinks gradually separates your tooth enamel in due course of time. Drinking a full-sugar soft drink is far worse. The bacteria in your mouth love sugar, and the byproduct that they discharge is one of the main sources of bad breath. Also, if those reasons weren’t sufficient, carbonated drinks with dyes in them can stain your teeth forever! The worst part is that cleaning your teeth will not save you from this one. In fact, brushing might even accelerate the decay of your teeth.
Coffee
Is the most awesome part of waking up harming your teeth? Coffee (or tea) in its traditional brewed form can be extremely beneficial to your health. However, many individuals can’t stomach the taste of black coffee with no trace of something sweet. As we’ve mentioned, sugar is definitely bad for oral hygiene. Furthermore, neither is caffeine. Caffeinated beverages really dehydrate you and dry your mouth out. An absence of saliva accelerates tooth decay. Additionally, coffee has been known to stain your teeth, and also makes your breath smell bad. We’re not saying you need to give up coffee, but be careful and drink a lot of water afterwards!
Alcohol
While drinking a glass of red wine might be heart-healthy, with regards to dental health, alcohol can be tricky. Similarly, with caffeine, wine, beer, and different spirits sap your body of water. Whenever you have a dry mouth, the saliva that commonly keeps food from sticking around is essentially reduced. Spit is a significant part of oral health, which is one of the many reasons remaining hydrated is so significant. In addition to drying out your mouth, a few glasses of wine and other alcoholic beverages are typically filled with sugar, which can cause tooth decay and even staining.
Acidic fruits and vegetables
What fruits and vegetables are bad for you? As stated above, many food varieties that are generally considered healthy options from a nutritional point of view can still harm your teeth. Foods that damage teeth are rich in acids, like grapefruits, oranges, or tomatoes, and tend to damage your enamel. However, that doesn’t mean you should avoid these nutrient-packed foods. Assuming you consume these food sources regularly, make sure to eat them along with other foods to protect your teeth.
Starchy foods
Nothing hits the spot quite like the crispy crunch of a potato chip or the flakey rich goodness of a wafer. An individual consumes pounds of starchy foods and snacks a year. What’s more, the situation with most snacks means you can’t eat just one. Similar to white bread, starchy foods get sticky and stick in the middle of your teeth. If you choose to chow down on your cherished pack of chips, make sure that you brush and floss your teeth to dislodge any clingy bits of extra food to keep your chompers chompin’.
Sticky Foods
Sticky foods, even healthy ones, can sometimes harm your teeth. Caramels or taffy, aside from being loaded with sugar, can pull out fillings or loosen weak teeth. Dried fruits like raisins, dates, and apricots are loaded with sugar and, because of their sticky nature, will quite often stick around in difficult-to-reach places. It takes a lot of flossing and toothpicks to sort out these foods from your gums and the outer layer of your teeth. Brush frequently and remember to floss.
Breath Mints
This might come as a shock, but those sweet little treats that are intended to freshen our breath can really make it worse and harm our teeth. The truth is that most mints are made mostly with sugar. We suck on mints, generally stashing them in our cheeks to enjoy them gradually after some time. But because of this, the bacteria in our mouths have a field day with that chunk of sugar gradually melting against our teeth. The best way around this is to choose a sugar-free mint or gum to keep the bacteria from feasting.
Foods That Bolster Oral Health
We’ve talked a lot about foods that are awful for your teeth and gums, but we have some tooth-friendly foods. Here is a list of foods that prevent tooth decay:
· Sugar-free confections
· Leafy greens
· Apples
· Fish
· Mushroom
· Ginger
· Almonds
· Lean Meat
· Eggs
Finally, all food will cause a small amount of tooth wear. However, these foods specifically are enriched with nutrients, minerals, and other supplements to fight tooth decay. Search for foods that are high in calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, L-ascorbic acid, and phosphorus to keep your smile blissful, sound, and ready for more!
We’re experts when it comes to beautiful smiles.
If you want to learn more about how to keep your smile bright and healthy, we suggest visiting your dentist. Besides the fact that they schedule you for ordinary dental cleanings, they can help you by showing you how to really care for your teeth, assuming you enjoy food varieties that may not be stellar for your smile.