Worst Foods for Your Teeth
Most People realize exercise and diet play an essential role in keeping them healthy. However, do you realize how important a healthy mouth is for a healthy body? Dr Rhonda Krause of Loveland Family Dentistry (LovelandFamilyDental.com) recommends several foods you should try to avoid for your oral health.
1. Candy
Hard candy takes a long time to dissolve and it releases sugars into your mouth the entire time. Biting down on a hard candy before it has dissolved can cause a chip, break or crack in your tooth.
2. Soda
Soda ,whether sugar-free or not, contains acid which allows plaque to attack tooth enamel. If you sip soda all day, you are essentially coating your teeth in acid. Plus it dries out your mouth, meaning you have less saliva to protect your teeth. Dark colored soda can also stain your teeth. Drink unsweetened tea or water instead.
3.Citrus Fruit
Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are tasty as both fruits and juices and are packed with vitamin C. But, their acid content can erode enamel, making teeth more vulnerable to decay. Eat and drink them in moderation at mealtime and rinse with water afterward.
4. Sugar
Regardless of whether it's brown sugar, refined white sugar or honey, it's still sugar. Sugar turns your mouth into an acidic environment, which persists for a couple of hours after you consume it. If you drink or eat some kind of sugar every couple of hours you will be continuously bathing your teeth in the acid, which can dissolve your tooth enamel! Consume food with a lot of sugar during meals, and this helps neutralize acid production.
5. Crackers
Crackers are refined carbohydrates, and numerous studies have found links between highly refined carbohydrate consumption and body inflammation. Inflammation is the main player in many chronic diseases that can effect overall health as well as dental health.
6. Ice
All it contains is water, so it's fine to chew ice, right? Water in its liquid form is one of the best things for your oral health. Not so much in its frozen form. A habit of chewing ice can increase the wear and tear on your teeth. You can also have the same problems as chewing hard candy if you bit down at the wrong angle.
7. Wine
Alcohol causes your mouth to dry out, reducing the amount of saliva. Red wine also contains compounds called tannins, which will further dry your mouth and stain your teeth. If you plan on drinking wine, be sure to brush your teeth beforehand. This can help to reduce the amount of plaque that wine can stick to. It's also helpful to wait 30 minutes after drinking wine to brush your teeth to avoid brushing the acid from wine into your teeth.
8. Dried Fruit
While fruit is usually a good snack for your sweet tooth, you should stick to the fresh kind. The drying process makes it concentrated with sugar and may cause the fruit to lose some of its nutritional value. Many dried fruits also have a chewy, sticky consistency which causes it to cling to your teeth.
Your diet has an impact on your oral health as well as your overall health and well being. If you have questions or concerns, Please give us a call at Loveland Family Dentistry. 970-667-6101
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