Most Harmful Foods for Your Teeth
Careful dental hygiene is important for maintaining a happy and healthy smile. This includes your daily brushing, flossing, and possibly mouthwash. It’s also very important to get regular check ups and cleanings to prevent tartar buildup or tooth decay. But can you be doing more to promote a healthy mouth and ensure a bright white smile for your future? Yes – by avoiding some food and drink that can cause more decay.
Today we’re sharing the most harmful foods for your teeth, and some may surprise you. Try avoiding these foods or rinsing and brushing quickly after eating to keep your teeth healthy and lasting.
Most Harmful Foods for Your Teeth
- Sour & Sugar Candy – even worse than regular candy, sour candies have an acid base that attacks your teeth harder. They break down enamel and deposit both acid and sugar that can cause decay.
- Citrus – for the same reason, citrus fruits can be dangerous to your teeth due to the acidic content. Be sure to eat and drink in moderation and rinse thoroughly with water after consuming.
- Alcohol – it’s probably no surprise that alcohol is bad for your teeth, but it isn’t just the red wine stains that you should worry about. Alcohol dries out your mouth, sapping it of protective saliva, which means food sticks to your teeth to cause more decay and even gum disease.
- Soda – whether it has sugar or not, soda allows your mouth to produce more plaque and acid to coat your teeth. Many people who drink soda all day are creating serious decay potential. And if it’s sugar soda you’re drinking, you’re adding sugar to the damage on your teeth.
- Chips – they’re so salty and delicious, but the salt and starch means serious complications for your teeth. Chips are especially dangerous because they break down quickly and settle into the crevices of your teeth. We also tend to eat far too many chips and don’t floss after, like we need to.
- Ice – chewing on ice is a popular habit, but it’s dangerous. The chomping and biting can weaken enamel and lead to chipping and even breaking teeth. Break your ice-chewing habit in order to preserve your teeth’s strength for the long run.
Avoiding these foods may be difficult, but it’s worth the effort to keep your teeth strong and healthy. It’s particularly important to avoid these foods if you have weak enamel or a history of cavities and decay. You can live a life with bright, healthy teeth – just be vigilant with your diet and dental hygiene.