You may be taking care of your teeth by brushing and flossing daily, visiting your dentist regularly, and so on.
But what about the foods you eat? Are you sure you’re not eating too much of those that can damage your teeth?
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are a couple of foods your dentist wants you to avoid, as they can be harmful to your teeth.
Foods High in Sugar
It would be safe to say that almost all people are fond of desserts such as cakes, pies, chocolate, and so on. Unfortunately, while our palate may love sweet foods, our teeth wouldn’t.
You probably already know by now that the reason for this is that sugar contributes to the development of cavities and plaque.
Aside from common desserts, you have to consider other foods that also contain sugar. This includes potato chips, bread, spaghetti sauce, protein bars, and yoghurt, among others.
Citrus Fruits
Love eating citrus fruits? Well, we’ve got some good news and bad news for you.
The good news is these fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, etc.) contain vitamin C, among other vitamins, and are even low in calories.
The bad news is because of their acidity, eating them can erode your teeth’s enamel. If you do consume a citrus fruit, it’s recommended that you rinse your mouth with water.
Carbonated Drinks
Here’s a drink that your dentist especially wants you to avoid: carbonated drinks. Carbonated drinks are especially bad for your teeth because first, they contain sugar.
Second, they’re also acidic—remember what we said about citrus fruits? And third, they can dry out your mouth, “meaning you have less saliva,” according to Healthline.
Saliva doesn’t just help us eat our food. It also serves to keep our teeth healthy by repairing their enamel and washing off food bits. How cool, right?
Sports Drinks
Love to engage in sports and fitness? Then you probably always carry sports drinks with you.
The thing is they’re another type of drink that carries a lot of sugar. Their high sugar level is meant to “hydrate and fuel trained athletes during prolonged, intense periods of exercise,” Healthline explains.
So think twice before buying one. You can also try checking the label of the sports drink you’re eyeing to see how much sugar it contains.
Chewy Candy and Dried Fruit
What do these two types of foods have in common? They’re both sweet? That’s correct.
Another commonality between these two is their texture. Both are sticky.
Thus, they get stuck to your teeth easily. They also stay longer on teeth, which means they’re more likely to inflict damage.
So instead of dried fruit, eating fresh fruits is a better option. As for chewy candy, try limiting your intake on this.
And as always, rinse your mouth with water after having eaten or drunk any of the food and drinks we discussed here.
Sources:
- Healthline (1, 2, & 3)
- Congressional Dental Care
- American Dental Association
We hope you learned a thing or two from this article! It’s good to take care of our vital body parts, such as our teeth, bones, muscles, and eyes, among others.
Nevertheless, it’s also equally important to nurture our mental health. Here are some articles that can help you on this topic: