Sugar is one of the most common things we are taught to avoid. Growing up, many of us were told that sugar will rot your teeth. But did you know there are other foods besides sugar that can be harmful to your teeth? Check out these ten foods that are bad for your teeth.
- Ice Though ice has no sugar, chewing on hard substances like ice can damage enamel (the hard surface of your tooth) and leave your teeth vulnerable to a dental emergency.
- Citrus Foods
- The acidity in citrus foods can erode enamel, which makes teeth more susceptible to decay over time. Citrus fruits and juices can also cause irritation to any mouth sores.
- Coffee can stain your teeth
- Caffeine in coffee can cause your mouth to get dry as well as staining your teeth. If you do drink a lot of coffee, make sure to drink plenty of water.
- Sticky foods
- Can stay in your teeth longer than normal foods like dried fruit and gummies. If you do eat a lot of sticky food make sure to floss carefully, removing any residue that might have been left behind in your teeth.
- Chips
- Nothing is more satisfying than that first crunch when you bite into a chip. The problem is how much starch that are in those chips. Like gummies or dried food, the starch in chips gets stuck easily in your teeth. Chips are a food to floss after eating. It is important to remove all the food particles containing starch which can lead to plaque build-up.
- Soda
- Drinking sugary drinks like soda over a long period of time can be very harmful to your teeth. Sugar from soda drinks is used by plaque bacteria that then turns that sugar into acids that attack you enamel.
- Alcohol
- Alcohol causes dehydration and dry mouth. Excessive drinkers find their saliva flow is reduced over time. This can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral infections. Heavy alcohol use also increases one’s risk for mouth cancer.
- Sports and Energy Drinks
- Even though they sound healthy, sugar is the number one ingredient for many sports and energy drinks. Drinking dark colored soda can also stain your teeth.
- When drinking these drinks, make sure the amount of sugar is low or dilute your sports drink with water.
- Hard Candies
- Not only are hard candies full of sugar, but this constant exposure to large amounts of sugar can be harmful to your teeth. Like chewing ice, chewing on hard candies leaves your teeth more susceptible to dental emergencies like a chipped or broken tooth. Alternative? Try chewing sugarless gum.
- Bread
- When you chew bread, the saliva in your mouth breaks down the starches into sugar. The chewed bread forms into a paste-like substance that easy sticks to the crevices between your teeth can lead to and cause cavities.