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What Foods are Bad for Your Teeth?

If you don’t take good care of your teeth by brushing and flossing, then essentially all foods are bad for your teeth. However, some foods are worse for your teeth than others. You don’t have to avoid these foods entirely, but know that if you don’t take good care of your teeth these foods will do extra damage. And the negative effects as a result of excessive consumption of these foods over time can add up. Watch out for the following offenders.

What Foods are Bad for Your Teeth?

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits have a great taste, but their high acidic content isn’t good for the teeth. This acid can erode enamel and irritate mouth sores. Brush your teeth after consuming a citrus fruit to get rid of leftover acid.

Coffee

Coffee is a favorite drink for many, but your teeth don’t like it that much. Aside from staining your teeth, coffee is also often loaded with sugar, which does further damage to the teeth. The caffeine in coffee can also dry out your mouth. If you drink coffee, try to avoid adding sugar, and drink water afterward to get rid of coffee residue.

Soda

Sugary sodas can wreak havoc on your teeth. These drinks are loaded with sugar and caffeine, which together are a bad combination for the mouth. If you can, try to limit or eliminate your soda intake, not just for the health of your teeth, but for your body as well. If you do want to have a soda, drink a water after or brush your teeth if your can. Sports drinks too have a lot of sugar.

Alcohol

Alcohol causes dehydration and dry mouth, which leads to tooth decay and other dental problems. If you’re a heavy consumer of alcohol, you may also be at a higher risk for mouth cancer.

Sticky and Crunchy Foods

Unfortunately, this covers just about all snack foods out there, but the damage they can do to your teeth is real. Aside from their sugar content, sticky and crunchy foods are more likely to get stuck in your teeth, accelerating plaque buildup. Floss every day to remove trapped food particles.

Ice

Ice in your drink is fine, but chewing on ice is no good for your enamel.

bad foods for teeth

About Olney Dental

Olney Dental has been providing comprehensive dental care for residents of Olney and the surrounding area since 1985. We’re conveniently located on the campus of Montgomery General Hospital, and provide care for all ages for children to adults and seniors. We’re also independently owned by our dentists, which allows us be patient driven in our approach to dentistry. Your smiles make us smile! You can also connect with us on FacebookTwitterGoogle+Pinterest, and YouTube.

Source

http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/nutrition/food-tips/9-Foods-That-Damage-Your-Teeth

This entry was posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2014 at . Both comments and pings are currently closed.