Foods that harm your oral health
Daily food damage
As we all know sugar can be bad for our teeth and oral health but you might be surprised to learn that it isn’t just sugar that affects your teeth. There are many different types of food out there that we eat on a daily basis which can have bad consequences if your teeth aren’t looked after properly and here at Thurmaston Dental we have listed the top foods that harm your oral health.
Sticky and Hard Sweets
Sticky sweets such as caramel and toffee are full of sugar and acid if that wasn’t bad enough the fact that they stick to your teeth makes them even worse. If sweets can get stuck to your teeth and in-between your teeth it has more of an opportunity to rot your teeth as you may not be able to wash your teeth immediately. Hard sweets such as lollipops are just as bad as they can cause broken teeth, chips or weaken your teeth.
Other Sugars
When we think of sugar our mind often thinks of sweets, but they are not the only culprit in this. Dried fruits, desserts, jam and cereals have high levels of sugar in them and can be just as damaging as eating sweets. Sugar in your mouth is often the first step in the process of cavities formation.
Fizzy Drinks
Not technically a food, but many people will know that a fizzy drink will cause damage to your teeth, you can even feel your teeth become a different texture as you drink them. The sugars and acid erode your teeth’s enamel causing your teeth to rot and decay. Also, the fact that it is a drink means it covers the entire surface of your tooth and affects your gums.
Citrus Fruit
Yes fruit is healthy for you, right? However, citrus fruit is very high in acid which can wear out your enamel. The two main offenders are lemon and grapefruit with orange juice being the less acidic. Make sure you are aware of how acidic your fruits are and how much you intake.
Starch
Starch such as bread, chips, pretzels and pasta can be just as damaging to your oral health as sugar. This starch can get in-between your teeth and gums so you must be sure to floss after consuming starchy foods.
Caffeine
How many of you need your morning caffeine fix? Coffee is known for leaving stains on teeth, however, did you know that most caffeine drinks such as coffee, alcohol and energy drinks dry your mouth out, this makes it easier to for bacteria to live in your mouth. The best defence is your saliva as it washes away plaque, helps prevent food from sticking to your teeth but when your mouth is dry due to these caffeine filled drinks it becomes harder for your saliva to keep your mouth in check. If you add sugar or syrup into your hot caffeine drinks you are also increasing the risk of tooth decay and more.
How do I keep my mouth healthy?
Food is made to give you energy and to make you happy and healthy so don’t worry too much about the food and drink listed above; you should just follow some simple principles to keep your oral health in check.
To help your teeth and gums stay healthier try following these tips:
• Avoid constant snacking. You need to leave some time for your mouth to regain saliva and replenish the minerals to your teeth.
• Brush your teeth after a large meal. Obviously, you can’t constantly brush your teeth after snack, so after having your evening meal or maybe after having a large lunch then remember to brush. However, if you have consumed highly acidic foods then wait 20 minutes after eating as the acid would have weakened your enamel.
• After each meal rinse your mouth with water and remember to drink plenty water throughout.
• If you are going to drink a fizzy or acidic beverage to minimize contact with the teeth.
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