These 5 Foods are Harming Your Teeth

5 Foods to Avoid for Healthier Teeth

Most of us are aware that candy and sugary drinks will rot our teeth, while coffee will stain them. However, there are other foods to also avoid if you want optimal dental health. Here are five that you might not have thought about.

Most people know that regular soda is bad for you. The bacteria in your mouth eat the sugars left behind by soda and use it to produce acid that attacks your teeth enamel. However, some don’t realize that sugar-free diet soda is also bad for your teeth. Although it contains no sugar, it’s still considerably more acidic than plain water, and so it will erode your teeth just the same.

Fruit is great for you. However, fruit is mostly composed of sugar, so it is not too different from sweets and candy as far as your dental health goes. Though fresh fruit shouldn’t harm your teeth to a concerning degree, you should look out for the effects of dried fruit. Dried fruit, including raisins and dates, are much stickier than fresh fruit. It can get stuck in between your teeth very easily, and if the sugary fruit particles remain in your mouth for a long time it can promote tooth decay. Brush your teeth right after eating dried fruits, or at least give your mouth a good rinse with water if you can’t brush.

Some alcoholic drinks, including wine and sweetened cocktails, contain added sugar. Of course, this is bad for your teeth. However, even alcohol that contains no sugar can still harm your dental health. For one, it irritates the soft tissues in your mouth, leading heavy drinkers to often experience gum disease. Alcohol also decreases your mouth’s natural production of saliva, which is necessary to help protect your teeth from acid and decay. Keep alcohol to a minimum and brush your teeth after you drink.

Some people relish in chomping down on the ice at the bottom of their cup once they’ve finished drinking their beverage. However, this can harm your teeth due to the physical stress it creates on your teeth. Chewing hard things like ice can damage your enamel. So, avoid bite down on ice, and if you really enjoy eating ice let it melt in your mouth rather than chewing it.

The marketing and advertising strategies of sports drinks often lead us to believe that these are healthy beverages. However, not only is replenishing electrolytes unnecessary for workouts under 1 hour, but sports drinks also contain a ton of sugar. Stick to drinking plain water to hydrate during workouts under 1 hour.

If you have questions about your oral health, contact South Temple Dental today to make an appointment.  

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