Many foods are ingested not only for sustenance, but for enjoyment. With all the sweets, salty snacks, fried foods, and everything else that’s readily available, who can resist all of these tasty treats?
The problem is that in addition to numerous health problems when you indulge a little too much, certain foods can be damaging to your teeth. If any of the following foods are on your list of regularly eaten food, we suggest that you cut down or eliminate them from your diet entirely.
Soda
Let’s start this list with something you should cut out of your diet for a variety of reasons. We’ve touched on the dangers of soda (or pop, if you prefer), but you just can’t repeat it enough times — this sugary drink is not only bad for your overall health, but very bad on your teeth. This is especially true when working an office job or performing some other task where you may nurse your drink for hours and constantly bombard your teeth with acid and sugar.
Ice
As everyone knows, water is great for your body, and can help rinse your mouth of bacteria, thereby keeping your teeth clean. Ice, on the other, is not good for your teeth when you chew on it. Why? Because it’s a hard substance — and anything hard against your teeth can damage your enamel and make your teeth vulnerable to injury.
Hard Candies
Whether it’s jawbreakers or lollipops, the sugar contained in these treats isn’t good for your dental health. What’s even worse (or at least just as bad) is the fact that crunching on hard candies, like ice, can weaken and damage your teeth.
Sticky Foods
This can include anything from gummy bears to certain types of dried fruit. Any type of food that is sticky has a tendency to adhere to our teeth for longer periods of time than foods that are not sticky. If you can’t avoid these, we suggest rinsing your mouth after eating sticky snack, in addition to brushing and flossing carefully.
Potato Chips
Don’t get us started on how yummy potato chips are. Those little slivers of salty goodness are enough to get us excited any time of the day. Unfortunately, many types of chips are full of starch, which gets trapped in your teeth and causes damage over time. The solution is to make sure you floss extra carefully at the end of the day to avoid a build-up of plaque.
Alcohol
There’s nothing wrong with responsibly having a drink every once in a while. Many people love to wind down after a long day or especially long week. That being said, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a host of health problems, and that includes tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral problems due to a reduced saliva flow that would normally help rinse out bacteria. Plus, heavy alcohol consumption also increases the possibility of mouth cancer.
Sports Drinks
Many sports drinks are touted as a healthy alternative to sodas. You should be aware, however, that sugar is a primary ingredient in many of these drinks. This especially includes energy drinks like Red Bull. So before you grab that bottle and guzzle it down, make sure you check the labels for a low sugar content. Or, you know, stick with water.
Citrus
As we all know, fruits are good for your health. You should make them a part of your daily eating habits. However, it’s important that you limit the amount of fruits like lemons and limes because of they’re highly acidic, which can quickly erode your enamel, making them prone to decay.
Do you need more sound advice for oral and dental health? Is it time for a check-up to ensure your dental future? Contact Dr. Bruce McArthur, DDS for an appointment today!