In fact, taking care of your teeth requires much more than brushing your teeth and routine dental care. A good teeth care also consists of eating the right foods. There are many foods and beverages that causes plaque. Plaque is a sticky material that contains bacteria. It covers your teeth and gums. If you do not brush or floss in a right way, the bacteria can spread and can cause tooth decay as well as gum disease. After eating a sugary snack or meal, the sugars cause that bacteria to release some acids. These acids attack tooth’s enamel and when the enamel breaks down, cavities can develop. Cavity is considered as the most common chronic disease that is faced by people aged 6 to 19 years. Cavities can cause complications such as pain, chewing problems and tooth abscesses as well. Always keep in mind that if you do not brush or floss your teeth, your plaque will harden and turn into tartar. It ultimately leads to gingivitis which is an early form of gum disease.
Now the question arises here that how you can prevent plaque from wreaking havoc on your mouth. Along with brushing the teeth at least twice a day and flossing and visiting a dentist regularly, you need to avoid or limit some foods. This article tends to highlight some of the foods that are really bad for your teeth. Go through the article till the end as it will be very useful for you in the long run.
1- SOUR CANDIES
Sour Candy is one of the foods that is really bad for your teeth. It is a fact that candy is bad for your mouth but at the same time, sour candy contains different kinds of acids that are tougher on your teeth. Moreover, sour candies are chewy. As a result, they stick to the teeth for a longer time. In this way, they are more likely to cause decay. Sour candies are usually considered as an all-star villain when it comes to your teeth and gums’ health because of their ability to stick and stay attached to and between your teeth for a very long time. Such sour candies turn into a plentiful energy supply for bacteria. Their prolonged presence in the mouth allows bacteria to produce much more acid than normal. To avoid this situation, you need to clean your teeth (flossing is best) as fast as possible and not leave sticky foods to linger in your mouth for hours.
If you love candies and you are craving sweets, then just grab a square of chocolate instead, which you can chew quickly and wash away easily.
2- FOODS HIGH IN SUGAR
The foods that are high in sugar also damages your teeth. It is a fact that sugar is bad for our teeth, but it is really important to know why exactly. The reason is the bad bacteria in your mouth feed on sugars to create acids. As a result, these acids cause cavities. So, we can say that sugars in your mouth are often the first step in the process of cavities formation!
It is completely impossible to eliminate all the sugars from your diet. But you can try to minimize sugar intake especially refined sugar as much as possible. Moreover, just make sure that sugar does not linger in your mouth for a long time. Try to avoid those foods that are high in sugar for example soft drinks, candies, dried fruit, desserts, jams and the cereal.
3- BREAD
You will be surprised to know that bread also damages to the teeth. Therefore, just think twice as you walk down the supermarket bread aisle. This is because when you chew bread, your saliva breaks down the starches into the sugar. It then transforms it into a gummy paste like substance. As a result, the bread sticks to the crevices between teeth. And this situation can cause cavities. If you are craving some carbs, try to go for less refined varieties such as whole wheat. Such foods contain less added sugars and they cannot be broken down easily.
4- HIGHLY ACIDIC FOODS
Acidic foods (foods with low Ph rating) are extremely dangerous for our teeth. The reason is whether they are contained in foods or are converted from sugars by your mouth’s bacteria, acids can erode your teeth’s enamel. As a result, it causes cavities and tooth decay. Do remember that a weaken enamel can lead to a variety of problems ranging from sensitivity issues to discolored teeth. Therefore, try to avoid high acidic foods such as lemons, pickles, tomatoes, alcohol and coffee.
5- CARBONATED DRINKS
Carbonated drinks are also in the list of foods that are bad for your teeth. According to the recent study, drinking large quantities of carbonated soda could be as damaging to your teeth as using methamphetamine and crack cocaine. The reason behind this is that carbonated sodas enable plaque to produce more acid to attack tooth enamel. Therefore, if you like to sip soda all day, you are, in fact, coating your teeth in acid. Moreover, it dries out the mouth, which means you have less saliva. Always keep in mind that do not brush your teeth immediately after drinking a soda because this could actually hasten decay.
6- CITRUS
The last item on the list is Citrus. Without any doubt, oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are tasty as both fruits and juices. They are also packed with vitamin C. But the fact is their acid content can erode enamel that makes teeth more vulnerable to decay.
To sum up:
There are some foods that are both sticky and sugary. They are bad for the teeth. These foods tend to “stick” around and stay on the teeth longer. As a result, it gives a greater chance for bacteria to do damage to the teeth. There are some foods that are not necessarily bad for health such as dried fruits. But, according to the experts, you should encourage yourself for teeth brushing, flossing and mouth rinsing after consumption to help prevent cavities.
