Are you taking excellent care of your teeth, but not getting the results you wanted? Are you still seeing some tooth discoloration, development of gum disease, or tooth decay? If this is the case for you, you may want to consider changing your dietary choices. Below, is a list of several foods that may be a detriment to the health of your teeth and mouth.
Foods
1.) Hard candies
While you may love the taste of these candies, they can wreak havoc in your mouth. Hard candies are full of sugars and syrups that can stick to your teeth and cause increased development in cavities or gum disease. Additionally, many people bite down on hard candies, which can cause a dental emergency, like a fractured tooth.
2.) Chewy/sticky foods
Some foods are made to be extremely chewy (Starbursts, jelly beans, Life Savers, and other candies, in particular). Unfortunately, these foods have a tendency to stick to your teeth for a longer period of time, and can cause excess harm to your teeth and gums. If you eat foods like these, it is important to brush and floss afterwards.
3.) Crunchy/crispy foods
Take foods like pretzels or potato chips, for example. These foods contain a lot of starch, which has the tendency of getting stuck in your teeth and causing damage.
4.) Fruits that are high in acid
While fruit is healthy for you, it is important to avoid consuming too much citrus. Citrus can eat away at your enamel and expose the vulnerable parts of your teeth. Fruits high in acid include oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons, and more!
Drinks
5.) Alcoholic beverages
Consuming alcohol can cause you to become dehydrated. When you are dehydrated, you are more susceptible to suffering from dry mouth. If you start suffering from dry mouth, you are more likely to develop cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems.
6.) Caffeinated drinks
Drinks like coffee and soda contain caffeine, which, like alcohol, can dehydrate you and cause dry mouth. What makes these drinks even worse, is the acid or amount of sugar that they usually contain. These two things combined can spell trouble.
7.) Sports drinks
While these drinks are beneficial when working out, or participating in an athletic event, they can cause harm if consumed regularly. The reason they can be negative for your oral health, is due to the high sugar content.
If you have been taking good care of your mouth, and have a good diet for your mouth, chances are you will see results. If you are in the Rockford, IL area and would like to schedule an appointment to further the health and wellness of your mouth, feel free to contact us today to visit Dr. Sachs.