7 Foods to Avoid for Healthy Teeth
It is said that you are what you eat. This means that the food or drink intake plays a significant role in achieving healthy teeth and overall health. When eating, your teeth and gums are greatly impacted because you are not only feeding your body, but also the bacteria responsible in developing plaque or stains on your teeth.
Plaque buildup may cover the entire surfaces of your teeth. The enamel of your teeth will deteriorate when starches or sugar mixed with the plaque, thus results to acid formation.
Aside from the possibility of tooth decay, there are other dental issues that may occur such as breaking down of the gums and other structure of the teeth. To get healthy teeth, the best thing to do is to avoid the harmful foods that can ruin your dental structures.
1 Sodas (and diet sodas)
There is a valid reason why you should avoid drinks that contain soda. The sugary soft drink can satisfy your craving for something sweet, but the truth is that it can damage your dental health.
Likewise, the intense flavor of sodas can confuse your body to the natural sweet of fruits. Since sodas contain artificial sweeteners, it does not only cause tooth decay, but also encourages weight gain.
2 Alcohol
Excessive intake of alcohol is not only bad for the liver, but also for the teeth and gums. Alcohol can cause dehydration, thus a person may feel that their mouth is dry due to reduced flow of saliva. This may result in tooth decay, and worse, oral infections like gum disease. Continuous intake of alcohol is one of the main culprits for mouth cancer.
Read also – 7 Reasons Drinking Wine Is Good for You
3 Sweet candy
It is not bad to eat candies as long as it is in moderation. However, eating too many will make your teeth expose to sugar that is harmful. The problem may aggravate if you eat hard candies that have higher content of sugar.
Likewise, it can also break or chip your tooth that may lead to dental emergency that may end up using veneers. If you are craving something sweet, the best alternative to take is to chew sugarless gum carrying ADA seal.
4 Fast food
People who frequently dine in fast food chains have great chances of developing dental problem such as tooth decay. It is because most of the foods and drinks served in fast food contain preservatives and food flavorings that are not good for the teeth.
In addition, dining in fast food allows the starch and sugar to stay for longer time in your teeth as you cannot brush your teeth after eating. Thus, giving more time for the bacteria to feast.
5 Soft drinks or energy drinks
Carbonated soft drinks have higher content of sugar. Soft drinks also contain citric acids and phosphoric acids that are harmful to the tooth enamel. That is why you should not allow your kids to consume soft drinks and even energy drinks to avoid early deterioration of their teeth.
This is not only applicable to kids but also to adults. If you are one of those people who love soft drinks and energy drinks, you must check your teeth or better make an appointment for dental check up to know the condition of your teeth.
6 Berries
Dark fruits including blueberry can stain your teeth and permeate the enamel. It is because of the anthocyanin derived from the blue color of the fruit. But, there is nothing to worry about because, in spite of its staining color, blueberries contain polyphenols that can obstruct the bacteria from damaging the teeth, thus expected to enhance your dental health.
Read also – 9 Most Delicious Ways to Eat More Berries
7 Coffee
Another tooth stainer is coffee. It is noticeable that the teeth of most coffee drinkers are stained. The good thing is that coffee is not bad for your teeth, in fact, it can break the bacteria that causes plaque buildup. If you love drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, the best thing to do is to choose a variety of coffee that contains less caffeine.
Dental health is as important as your overall health. That is why it is important to avoid consuming those foods and drinks that can damage your teeth and gums.
