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10 Foods That Are Bad For Your Teeth

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Written By Dr. Gabriella
foods bad for teeth

Are you wondering why you have to rush to the dental clinic ever-so-often to get your teeth checked? Well, it might be due to some delicious yet dangerous food items that are on your regular diet! These certain food items might be very tasty and in some cases, healthy too but they can be very bad news for your teeth.

So if you want to protect your teeth from fast decay and cavities, here is a list of the top 10 food items you should actively avoid which can get stuck to your teeth, causing cavities, and eroding your enamel.

10 Food To Avoid To Maintain Your Teeth

  • Refined Carb

Most of our favorite items, such as fries, chips, crackers, or bread are refined carbs. These are all simple carbohydrates that decompose into sugars and this sugar comes into contact with bacteria in the mouth, fermenting and producing lactic acid, which erodes tooth enamel quickly. The worst offenders are soft white bread and dinner rolls, which stick to the teeth easily and give bacteria more opportunity to produce acid.

 

  • Popcorn

Popcorn is a very nutritious snack alternative to chips, but it may be particularly hard on your teeth for a few reasons. We usually eat popcorn while watching a long movie, giving bacteria more time to harm our teeth. So after you’ve finished eating, keep some dental floss, some water, or a toothpick in hand. Also, if you bite down on one of those hard, unpopped kernels, your teeth might crack so take extra precautions if you eat popcorn by the handful.

 

  • Soft Drinks

There is a certain amount of acid present in all soft drinks, whether or not they contain sugar. This can harm your teeth, resulting in tooth erosion and severe cavities. So if you wish to maintain your teeth, you have to stay away from soft drinks. As a substitute, stick to unsweetened tea or water. If you feel like having one, wait a few minutes before brushing your teeth since the acid softens your tooth enamel, making them more sensitive to abrasion.

 

  • Dried Fruit

Fruit roll-ups, dried apricots, and raisins are commonly thought to be nutritious snacks that are healthier than candy. However, due to the drying process, the sugar in them is greatly concentrated. Also, because of their chewy nature, they are more likely to stick on teeth, giving germs more opportunity to inflict harm.

 

  • Wine

Erosive acid is found in both red and white wine, and it helps to soften the enamel. Tannins are molecules found in red wine that dry out your mouth and darken your teeth. If you know you’ll be drinking wine, wash your teeth first to help limit the amount of plaque the wine can adhere to. Also, wait for 30 minutes after consuming wine before brushing your teeth.

 

  • Pickles

Pickled foods are made with vinegar, which is acidic and necessary for the pickling process. This acid can cause dental enamel degradation as well as discoloration. Sugar is present in many pickled foods, which leads to the development of cavities.

 

  • Pasta Sauce

Tomatoes are high in vitamins, but they are also acidic. Because the acid in the sauce tears down your teeth and the carbohydrates in the pasta help feed germs that cause cavities, eating pasta with red sauce can cause double the harm to your enamel.

 

  • Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits can be a nutritious addition to any diet. Still, when consumed in large quantities, the citric acid in the fruit can erode your enamel, leaving your teeth vulnerable to cavities. Grapefruit, limes, and lemons are particularly acidic fruits. When drinking juices, use a straw to allow some of the acid to travel through your teeth.

 

  • PB&J Sandwich

Peanut butter is sticky and usually contains a lot of sugar. To mitigate the problem, use natural peanut butter with no added sugar. Jam too is often high in sugar, even all-fruit jams one. So if you are consuming a super tasty PB&J sandwich today, make sure to brush your teeth as soon as possible to avoid any harm.

 

  • Hard Candy

Hard candies take a lot of time to dissolve in our mouth. Some even take up to 10 minutes to dissolve, and since it spends so much time in our mouth, the bacteria have plenty of opportunities to inflict significant harm to our teeth. Hard candy is also capable of cracking your teeth and causing minor wounds on the inside of your mouth.

 

Conclusion

They might be your favorite food items, but unfortunately, you might need to let go of them just to protect and maintain your teeth. So get started on keeping your teeth today! You can indulge in them once in a blue moon and get your teeth checked at the dental clinic every 6 months to ensure they are in great shape.