Worst Foods For Your Oral Health

The type of food you eat can have a huge impact on your overall health and your dental health. What you eat affects your saliva production, which can help keep your mouth clean. In addition, your diet affects your risk of gum disease. For example, eating excessive amounts of food high in carbohydrates and sugar can cause tooth decay. Bacteria in your mouth feed on these sugars, creating acids that eat away at your teeth to damage the enamel, causing cavities. Here is a list of a few food items that can damage your dental enamel and affect your oral health:

• Hard Candy

Hard candy, such as lollipops and jawbreakers, satisfies your craving for something sweet, but the consequences are anything but sweet! Hard candy is one of the worst foods for oral and overall health, as it can cause cavities and damage your teeth.

• Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are one of the worst beverages for your dental health. In fact, they have more sugar than soda. They can damage your teeth and increase your risk of cavities.

Sports drinks also contain citric acid, which erodes your teeth. They also have sugar and other additives. This combination of ingredients can wreak havoc on your teeth, so it’s best to avoid them.

• Sticky Foods

Sticky foods are some of the most difficult foods to avoid because they can stick to your teeth. When these foods aren’t properly removed, they can linger in your mouth for long periods of time. This could cause plaque buildup, cavities, or even gum disease.

Sticky foods typically contain sugar and carbohydrates, which are great fuel for bacteria. Bacteria in your mouth feed on carbohydrates, producing acid as a byproduct. This acid attacks your teeth and begins to eat away at the enamel, causing cavities and decaying.

• Ice

While chewing ice can help soothe a sore tooth, it also breaks the enamel on the tooth. This weakens the tooth and makes it more susceptible to decay and breakage. Ice also causes your jaw to tense up, which puts pressure on your problematic tooth and potentially exacerbates any pain that you’re already experiencing.

• Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages are both acidic and high in sugar, which can damage your teeth. Additionally, individuals who regularly consume alcohol may be more susceptible to gum disease.

• Coffee

Coffee is highly acidic and can cause extensive damage to the tooth structure. Over time, it can lead to tooth erosion, one of the most common causes of tooth sensitivity. Coffee can also stain the teeth. If you do enjoy a cup of coffee, consider drinking it through a straw, so the liquid bypasses the teeth entirely. You can also brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with water after enjoying your coffee to help mitigate your risk for dental issues.

• Soda

Soda is one of the worst foods for your teeth. In fact, regular soda consumption, especially by children, has been linked to significant dental health issues, including an increased risk of tooth decay.

All Smile Dental is here to look into your dental issues and help you restore your smile. You can book an appointment at our Turlock, CA, dental office by calling at (209) 668-3736 or Modesto, CA, dental office at (209) 409-8839.