Eating the wrong foods can be detrimental to your dental health and can lead to cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and sensitivity. From sugary foods to acidic foods, this article highlights the worst foods and drinks for your teeth and gums.
1. Sugary Foods
Foods and drinks such as candy, sweets, carbonated drinks, and energy drinks are all loaded with sugar that damages your teeth. Bad bacteria in the mouth feed on sugar to create acids that eat away at the teeth, leading to cavities and tooth decay.
2. Starchy Foods
Starch from foods such as bread, crisps, crackers, and pasta is broken down into sugar in the mouth. Bacteria then turns these sugars into acid which wears away enamel, leading to tooth decay. To make matters worse for your teeth, when being broken down, these starchy foods turn into a paste-like substance that gets stuck in the mouth and trapped between the teeth. This means they stay in the mouth for a long time, giving bacteria more time to produce more tooth-destroying acids.
3. Sticky Foods
Sticky and chewy foods such as dried fruits and sticky candy are dangerous for your dental health because they attach to teeth and remain in the mouth for a long time. This gives bacteria more time to produce more harmful acid that dissolves the enamel and causes cavities.
4. Acidic Foods
Acidic food and drink erode the tooth’s enamel, leading to cavities, decay, and sensitivity. Limit your intake of acidic foods and drinks including citrus, fruit juice, tomato, pickles, vinegar, coffee, energy drinks, soda, and wine.
5. Drying Foods
Food and drink that dry out your mouth such as alcohol and coffee can damage your teeth as they reduce saliva flow. Saliva is your teeth’s natural protection – it washes away plaque, prevents foods from sticking to the teeth, and repairs the teeth. When the mouth is dry, the saliva level is low, and it is prevented from helping keep your teeth healthy.
Learn More
To learn more about what to eat and what not to eat for healthy teeth and gums, or for more advice on the best ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy and maintain optimal dental health, get in touch or book an appointment with Bright and White Dental Spa today.