Oral Health No-No’s: Avoid These 5 Foods to Protect Your Teeth
We all love a bit of sweetness in our lives, but the sad news is that these substances are responsible for all kinds of tooth nightmares. Avoiding these cavity-culprits will limit your visits to your dental clinic and foster strong, white teeth.
Sour Candy
The sour sensation of this candy is something to look forward to, but the high acidic content could end up getting your tooth removed. When acid comes in contact with your teeth, it sits on the surface and slowly eats away the enamel. In addition, since it includes sugar, it feeds bacteria, giving room for acids that further destroy the enamel.
As an alternative, go for chocolate. Although it is also a confectionery, it is consumed faster and doesn’t linger in your mouth. Opt for some dark chocolate as opposed to milk chocolate, which is known for its high sugar content.
Carbonated drinks
While these bubbly soft drinks are a favorite during the hottest time of the year, they can cause significant harm to your teeth. Unknown to many, drinking them could cause dry mouth, disrupt pH balance, and reduce saliva production. Unfortunately, less saliva means more acid.
Instead, your body can find the same comfort with a glass of water. Your dentist will recommend water for any time and to drink it as much as you like. These include neutralizing pH levels, increasing saliva production, and even better, rinsing off any food remains and acids.
Alcohol and Caffeine
Saliva production is our body’s natural way of fighting tooth decay, gum disease, and even bad breath. But when you consume alcohol, you make this process difficult altogether. Alcohol dries your mouth and reduces saliva. As innocent as a cup of caffeine drinks like tea and coffee may look, don’t trust them! They are the enemy of white, sparkling teeth. Besides, caffeine features acids that deplete the enamel. That’s not even all; caffeine can give you the jittery feeling and mild anxiety, the perfect ingredients for jaw-clenching and grinding.
If the only way to jumpstart your day is with a cup of caffeine, then pour in some milk. Milk has alkalising effects and will undoubtedly save your teeth from the severe stains that your toothbrush and toothpaste can handle. So, milky tea over coffee a black coffee are highly advisable.
Dried fruit
While you may opt for dried fruit for its nutritional value, it does, unfortunately, damage your teeth. To make it worse, it is chewy and sticky. That means it lingers for longer, getting in between your teeth—this invites tooth decay and creates a habitat for the growth of bacteria.
Choose their fresh equivalents. First and foremost, they have low sugar concentration, are high in fiber, and are less sticky. While at it, there are various options, like the berries known for their low sugar levels, and apples are a recommendation from your dentist. They trigger a flow of alkaline saliva, neutralizing the acid from plaque.
Citrus
From boosting a healthy heart to rejuvenating the skin, could consuming a citrus fruit get any better? We stand to reap several benefits from taking these fruits. However, their high acidic concentration is something to watch out for. Whoever invented squeezing lemon over drinking water surely couldn’t imagine its havoc on teeth. Telling you to stop taking citrus fruits is unrealistic, and even if you could, you need to up your Vitamin C levels to stay healthy. So, snack less and rinse your mouth thoroughly after taking your whole, fresh fruit. Can’t you just brush? That’s a no-no; acids soften the tooth enamel leaving them vulnerable. Brushing instantly after consumption will erode the enamel. Rinse and brush later!
Conclusion
The small changes to your diet have the most significant impact on your dental health. For strong, white teeth that evoke a priceless smile, contact your dentist in Parramatta for more tips. Don’t forget oral health starts with basic hygiene like flossing and brushing twice daily!
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