You know how important it is to brush your teeth every day and floss every day, but did you know that the types of food and drink in your diet can also cause problems in your oral health?
Here are 10 foods that are bad for your teeth.
1. Hard Candies
A small piece of hard candy may seem like a better alternative than a bowl of ice cream or potato chips, but while it might be a little better for your waistline, it is not good for your teeth. First of all, if you bite into a piece of hard candy and crunch it with your teeth, you are risking breaking or chipping a tooth. It is also harder to clean the sticky remnants of hard candy off your teeth making your teeth more susceptible to cavities. Hard candy is also filled with sugar which is also bad for your teeth and your overall health.
2. Sour Candies
Even sour candies which are softer to chew should be avoided. This is because there are more acids in this type of candy that can break down your teeth and because they more easily stick to your teeth and cause problems.
3. Ice
Many people have the habit of chewing on the ice in their drink. It might seem harmless at first, but in the long term it can have negative consequences. The problem comes in with how the chewing of something hard like ice on a regular basis puts you at risk for broken or chipped teeth and damaged enamel. The sooner you break the habit, the better.
4. Citrus Fruits
Although citrus fruits are chockful of important vitamins and minerals, there are some drawbacks to eating too many of them. The acid in them can erode the enamel on your teeth away and put you at risk for cavities and tooth loss. Even squeezing lemon in your water every time you have a drink can have an impact over time. While some citrus in your diet is good for your health just keep it in moderation.
5. Dried Fruit & Nuts
Now you are probably thinking, how can the dried fruit and nuts found in healthy trail mixes be bad for you? Again like the citrus fruits, dried fruits and nuts can have health benefits, but you just need to make sure you don’t eat too much of them, and that you brush and floss your teeth carefully after you are done snacking so nothing lingers stuck in between your teeth causing decay. If your teeth are already weak, crunching on nuts can also cause you to damage or even lose a tooth.
If you are trying to get more fruits into your diet, choose natural fruits instead of the dried out version for the best overall impact on your health.
6. Bread
While bread is nice and soft, it also can easily get stuck between your teeth. And because bread quickly breaks down into sugar that means you have sugary substances lingering in your mouth after your toast or sandwich. To protect your teeth and your overall health from too much sugar in your diet, switch out your white bread for whole grain breads that have less sugar.
7. Potato Chips
Potato chips like bread are filled with starches that break down into sugars and get stuck between your teeth so eat them in moderation and be sure to brush and floss carefully afterwards to get all the food particles left in the crevices of your teeth.
8. Sugary Drinks
It is not just food you have to worry about too. Certain drinks are bad for your teeth too. Too much sugar and milk in your coffee, and too many fruit juices can also make you more susceptible to tooth decay. If you love drinking coffee all day long, consider drinking it black for better health benefits.
9. Soda and Sports Drink
Soda hits your oral health with a double whammy because not only is it filled with sugar which leads to tooth decay, the acids in the soda also contribute to the breakdown of the enamel and the weakening of your teeth. Unfortunately soda can be very addictive. If it is hard for you to say goodbye to your daily soda habit, try to slowly switch out each glass of soda with a glass of water until you are mostly drinking water throughout the day.
Sports drinks are popular with athletes for rehydrating after an intense workout or game, but again you need to be careful of added sugars. Always read labels carefully.
10. Alcohol
Too much alcohol is also bad for your teeth. Alcohol can affect your body’s ability to create saliva leading to chronic dry mouth and gum disease if you consume it on a regular basis. A heavy drinking problem also increases your risk for oral cancer.
Ultimately, as with everything, it all comes down to balance. Always be aware of what you are putting in your body and let moderation be your guide. Also, read labels carefully to help you identify foods that are bad for your teeth.
Finally, brushing and flossing your teeth with care and getting in to see your dentist for regular checkups and cleanings will also help keep your teeth health and strong.
Contact us at Orthodontics Limited for more information foods that are bad for your teeth.
