Watch out – These foods can harm your teeth

Dental health is not just confined to regular brushing or flossing but also eating smart by avoiding the foods that cause damage to our teeth. Here are a list of foods that has the maximum potential to damage your tooth by accelerating the tooth decay process.

Sugary carbonated drinks

Fizzy drinks like colas are high in sugar which the plaque bacteria use to manufacture acids that attack the enamel.  Additionally, most of these carbonated soft drinks are also acidic which also damages the teeth and caffeinated beverages like colas can also dry out your mouth.

Alcohol

Alcohol leads to dehydration and dry mouth due to a reduced saliva flow over time, which can trigger tooth decay and other oral infections such as gum disease.

Junk foods and Potato chips

Junk foods like pizzas, burgers, etc., and starchy snacks like chips are hard to remove from the mouth and can lead to plaque buildup and tooth decay.

Candies, Sweets and Chocolates

Anything sugary that is left over in the mouth is a recipe for the bacteria to thrive. They can form thin bio-films which can develop into plaque. This can lead to tooth decay eventually.

Sticky dried fruits

Dried fruits are very nutritious but tend to be sticky and can remain embedded between the teeth even after brushing. Even tiny bits of this embedded fruit in the mouth will rot and cause tooth decay. Diligent brushing and flossing is necessary to remove every tiny bit.

Some super food too can cause teeth damage

In this fitness obsessed age, it may surprise many to know that many foods that may do wonders for our waistlines and skin, can potentially cause damage to our teeth and are considered by dentists as being high erosion potential.

• Grape juice and orange juice have high erosion potential due to their high levels of citric acid. Furthermore, packaged fruit juices and drinks with artificial sweeteners also have high potential for tooth erosion and decay due to the high levels of sugar they contain.

• Yoghurt is a very healthy and gut friendly food but it is also very acidic with high erosion potential. Packaged fruit yoghurts have an even higher capacity to cause tooth damage because not only are they acidic but they also contain high amounts of sugar which is the main culprit of tooth decay. Additionally, certain bacteria in the milk react with sugars in the food, leading to acid production and enamel erosion. However, plain yoghurt is highly nutritious and should not be avoided. Thus, dentists recommend that yoghurt should be had with a proper lunch or dinner and not as a snack.  This is because the amount of acid in our mouth peaks after food for about half an hour and then drops to a stable level.

Conclusion

Sugar comes in many forms such as sucrose, fructose or glucose and many processed foods have sugar in them.  We must make it a point to read the fine print of the list of ingredients and avoid the food and drink which are high in sugar. However, if we have consumed any fruit juices or acidic foods, eating food which is alkaline like milk or cheese or milk afterwards can neutralize the acid effects of sugar in the mouth.

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