The Top 5 Worst Foods For Your Teeth

The type of food you eat can either make your teeth or destroy them. That’s because many of the things you eat are the worst foods for your teeth. These foods, especially those we eat thoughtlessly, can cause plaque. Plaque is a bacteria-filled sticky film that sticks to your teeth and causes gum and tooth diseases.

Cavities are one of the most common tooth diseases faced by children and teenagers. Sugary foods can cause the bacteria in plaque to release acids that attack the tooth enamel. Once the enamel is weakened or damaged, cavities can form. Cavities cause complications like chewing problems, pain, and tooth abscesses. If you don’t brush or floss your teeth, plaque hardens to tartar, causing gingivitis.

To prevent any of these hazards in your mouth, you must take steps to ensure optimum tooth health. Asides from regularly visiting the dentist and brushing your teeth twice daily, you can avoid or limit the following foods.

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1. Bread

The digestion of bread, like any other carbs, begins from your mouth. When you chew bread, saliva breaks down the complex starch into sugars. The sticky paste-like result of chewing the bread adheres to the crevices between the teeth, causing cavities.

If you have to eat carbs, especially bread, choose less-refined options like whole wheat. They are not easy to break down and contain fewer added sugars.

2. Alcohol

The mouth needs saliva to keep the teeth healthy. It prevents food from sticking to your gum and teeth and washes the food particles in your mouth away. It also helps to repair early signs of gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral infections.

When you drink alcohol, it dries out the saliva in your mouth. Without saliva, you expose your teeth to many harms. To keep your mouth hydrated, reduce your alcohol intake, use fluoride rinses, and drink plenty of water.

3. Carbonated Drinks

As much as we love to guzzle them down, carbonated drinks do not have any benefits to your health. Not even the ones that have the word “diet” on them. Instead, they cause a myriad of health problems. A study shows that drinking large quantities of fizzy drinks could bring the same damage to your teeth as using Meth and crack cocaine.

If you drink carbonated drinks all day, you are essentially bathing your teeth in acid. This can cause the bacteria in plaque to produce even more acid to attack the enamel. Like alcohol, it also dries out the saliva in your mouth. Additionally, dark-colored fizzy drinks can stain or discolor your teeth.

N.B: It is a bad idea to brush your teeth immediately after taking a fizzy drink as it can hasten tooth decay.

4. Citrus

Citrus fruits have a lot of health benefits because of the nutrients and antioxidants they contain. However, their acidic content is also high, making them one of the worst foods for your teeth. The acid can erode the enamel and expose the teeth to decay. The acid from the citrus can also be bothersome to mouth and stomach sores.

Sadly, squeezing citrus into water will not lessen its acidity. It will only make the water acidic, so beware of lemon or lime water. If you still want to enjoy the nutritious benefits of citrus fruits, you can eat them in moderation. But be sure to rinse your mouth with water right after.

5. Ice

Ice is just frozen water, so it should be fine for your teeth, right? Wrong! Chewing on a hard substance can weaken or damage your enamel. Weakened enamel makes you more susceptible to chipped, broken, or cracked teeth and loosened crowns. While it’s okay to chill your beverages with ice, it’s a bad idea to chew on them.