What foods and drinks are bad for your teeth?

The old saying goes that you are what you eat. That is definitely true when you think about your teeth and dental health. If you have lots of food and drink that can cause damage, staining, or other problems, then it will be obvious with your teeth. After having something like a sugary snack, then the sugar from that snack will cause the bacteria in your mouth to release acids. These acids then start to attack the enamel on the tooth. When the enamel starts to break, that is when problems like cavities can develop in people of all ages. Let’s get into the worst drinks and foods for your teeth.

Avoiding gum disease, pain, and more

Cavities can cause problems with eating, can cause pain, and even lead to big problems like tooth abscesses. You can also get problems like gum disease and gingivitis once plaque on your teeth hardens.

We all know that bruising our teeth at least twice a day, regular trips to a dentist like Arch Dental, and flossing can help to reduce these issues. But what are the foods to avoid as an extra way to protect ourselves? Here are the drinks and foods to avoid for better oral hygiene and better health of your teeth.

Sour candy

As the name suggests, sour candy tends to have more acids than other candy, which can be tough on your teeth. They tend to be chewy too, which means that they stick to your teeth and are more likely to lead to tooth decay.

We all like sweet things from time to time, but chocolate can be a better idea instead as that is less harmful to teeth as it washes away easily. Like you needed an excuse to reach for chocolate (wink, wink).

Alcohol

Deep down, we all know that too much alcohol isn’t going to be good for us as it can dehydrate and be full of empty calories. But, drinking does actually dry out your mouth too.

When you have a dry mouth, it means that there is less saliva, which helps to wash away bits of food and acts as a protection for your mouth. So, instead of reaching for alcohol, reach for a glass of water, so that you can stay hydrated in the right kind of way.

Something like red wine is also very staining to teeth. If you have problems with your enamel, and the surface of your teeth has become quite porous, then something like red wine can cause staining, which isn’t going to be the healthiest thing for your teeth.

Dried fruits

It is fruit, so it is going to be a healthy snack, right? That statement is true in some instances, but a lot of dried fruits are pretty sticky, especially if it’s prunes, apricots, and dates.

When eating these snacks, they can get stuck on your teeth and in crevices between teeth. They are also full of sugar that gets concentrated through the drying process.

To eliminate this problem, make sure that you rinse out your mouth with water after eating the dried fruit. Then, brush your teeth and floss as soon as you can do so.

Citrus

Foods like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons taste great, and they have lots of vitamins and minerals that are good for us. However, their acid content is really high, which can attack the enamel on our teeth.

Even adding them to drinks can mean that you are still having quite an acidic drink. Thus, it’s best to consume them in moderation. Then, have a drink of water afterward, to flush out the acids away from the teeth.

Fizzy drinks

There is very little nutrition that comes from having carbonated drinks and very little goodness from anything that has the word “diet” in it. So, they are best to avoid for a number of reasons.

In fact, studies have shown that carbonated drinks can cause as many problems to your teeth as something like crack cocaine does. Fizzy drinks lead to plaque, and that can mean that there is more acid that is attacking the enamel of the tooth.

Fizzy drinks can also dry your mouth out and stain your teeth. If you do have them, then sipping through a straw is best, as well as having them alongside a glass of water, to rinse the soda away.

Conclusion

Your teeth are precious. Once you have your adult teeth, you need to do a lot to be able to look after them.

Oral health is related to a number of other issues in your body, so looking after your teeth is a good way to help or improve other areas of your health too.

Consuming certain foods can also affect your skin. Find out more about what to eat for glowing skin.