The worst foods for your teeth – Avoid them!

A balanced diet is key for healthy strong teeth and gums

Have you heard how important a healthy nutritious diet is for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Eating vitamin and nutrient-rich foods from every food group promotes a healthy smile.

Healthy balanced diet

A healthy balanced diet involves eating fruits, vegetables, grains, protein-rich foods and dairy as these all provide the essential nutrients for optimum oral and overall health.

Foods that are terrible for your oral health

There are certain foods that can increase the amount of plaque which forms, along with foods that contain a lot of acids.

Plaque is a sticky film that is filled with bacteria. When you consume sugar, the plaque breaks them down and turns the sugar into acid which attacks enamel. Both plaque and acid are responsible for causing gum disease, cavities, tooth decay and more dental issues.

We have compiled a list of foods that are terrible for your dental health below.

Candies

I’m sure this is no surprise to you! But candies are packed with sugars, and even acidity – depending on the candy.

Since candies can be very sticky, they can become stuck in and around your teeth, which only prolongs the acid attacks on your enamel.

A great idea is to choose chocolate instead as you can eat this quicker and it’s not sticking, meaning you can wash it away quickly.

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and lemons are packed with vitamin C and have many health benefits, however, they are also very acidic. Acidity damages the teeth by eroding enamel over time, making the teeth more susceptible to decay.

But this doesn’t mean you should avoid them, instead, after eating citrus fruits, make sure to wash your mouth out with water to remove the acids.

Dried fruit

Dried fruits may be the healthier alternative to candies and other sweet treats, but remember, some dried fruits can actually cause serious damage to the teeth since they have a sticky texture.

Raisins, prunes and dried apricots are packed with natural sugars and tend to get stuck in hard-to-reach areas between the teeth. This means the teeth are exposed to sugar for a longer period of time, which can slowly cause damage. Once again, don’t avoid them, just make sure to floss and rinse your mouth out after enjoying dried fruits.

Soft, sport and energy drinks

All of these drinks are some of the biggest culprits of tooth decay. Even if they contain no sugar, they are possible extremely acidic – which is just as bad!

Additionally, dark-coloured drinks also can cause discolouration and stains to the surface of your teeth. Make sure to drink water as much as possible over other drinks, and rinse your mouth out after having sugary or acidic drinks.

Ice

You’re probably wondering why ice is included as it only contains water. However, chewing on ice is extremely bad.

Chewing hard objects or substances can easily damage your enamel and make you prone to emergencies such as chips, cracks and a broken tooth.

Alcohol

Surprise, alcohol is absolutely terrible for your oral health and has been linked to many issues. Alcohol can contribute to not only decay, erosion and gum disease, but also oral cancer.

Alcohol tends to dry the mouth out and reduce saliva production, which can lead to increased amounts of damage to enamel, gum tissue and soft tissue.

Not only does alcohol impact your oral health, but think about what it does to your entire body and internal organs.

Instead, choose a healthy diet and have a dental appointment!

When was your last dental appointment? If it was more than six months ago, come in an visit Kitchener Street Dental in Toowoomba.

We love providing the very best in oral health care and seeing our patients smiling. So, if you would like to make an appointment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.