Whether you are old or young, the health and strength of your teeth depend on what you eat. Just like you use diet and exercises to keep your body healthy, it is the same way you need to find the proper diet for your teeth. Therefore, if you don’t want to get tooth decay, gum infections, and other dental complications to ruin your smile, you need to check your diet.
Poor oral health will affect the quality of your life by affecting your physical, psychological, and social welfare. For instance, tooth decay, bacterial infection, and missing teeth will influence how you eat, speak, and socialize. Continue reading to know the common foods that are bad for your teeth.
Worst Foods for Your Teeth
Sugary Foods
Excess consumption of sugar exposes your teeth to the risk of bacterial infection because bacteria feed on the sugar present in your mouth. Therefore, you need to minimize the amount of sugary foods you take, especially sweets and candies. If you must eat sweets, consider eating those that dissolve in your mouth quickly.
Sweets that take long to dissolve in your mouth, such as lollipops, jelly beans, caramels, and hard candy, can hardly be washed away by saliva. So, they will get stuck on your teeth and cause decay. Other sugary foods that can cause decay include cakes, pies, cookies, and other desserts.
Soft Drinks
Soft drinks are known to have acid that damages the enamel and exposes your teeth to cavities and decay. Instead of drinking sodas and other soft drinks, you should take unsweetened tea or water. But if you can’t resist the urge, do not brush your teeth immediately after taking a soft drink because the acid in it will soften the structure of your teeth, making them susceptible to abrasion.
Pickles
Pickles such as vinegar have acid that is necessary for the pickling process. This acid causes stains and can wear your teeths’ enamel away. Also, most preserved foods have sugar that can contribute to cavities.
Wines
Whether white or red, wine contains an acid that can erode your teeth over time. Moreover, red wine has compounds known as tannins that leave your mouth dry and your teeth stained. Therefore, it is advisable to brush your teeth before you drink wine not to be enough plaque for the wine to stick to.
Citrus Fruits
Although citrus fruits are an important part of a balanced diet, they can wear away your enamel if they are eaten continuously on their own. Citrus fruits contain acid that leaves your teeth vulnerable to cavities. The most notorious ones are lemon, lime, and grapefruit.
In summary, sugar and acid are your teeths’ biggest enemies. So, you need to take them in moderation.
