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Some foods that your teeth hate….

Sometimes our tongue craves for sweet and other times salty and spicy. But are your teeth agreeing with the decisions of your tongue? Everybody keeps wondering I brushed twice a day; I flossed at regular intervals; why am I still facing tooth problems? Maybe you are eating something wrong, that even your brushing cannot cure efficiently.

Let us discuss some of the items that most of you consume that harm your teeth.

1. Tea or Coffee

We can all accept it. The consumption of this in daily sleepless routine becomes inevitable. As beneficial as it is for your health in some ways, it doesn’t work miracles for your teeth. Tea and Coffee both are acidic in nature unless, of course, you have green tea. Acidic nature of these products can erode enamel i.e. the outermost protective layer of your teeth. Also, Coffee dries your mouth. So it is not only damaging your teeth directly, it is also promoting it by drying your mouth.

You probably worked your calculations and decided you cannot get rid of these beverages. Don’t worry you can maximize your protection from erosion by Drinking them cold and by using a straw. Giving minimal contact to your teeth and swishing your mouth with water after you are done drinking.

2. Sweetened or Carbonated Beverages

It is not much of surprise to find this one on the list. After all the good tea and coffee are doing for your teeth. If those are acidic guess what which category do they fall into? These are highly acidic and erosive. They harm enamel directly; also the sweeteners in these drinks boost growth of plaque (bacteria) which can cause cavities when left untreated.

You want advice to help in preventing damage? Avoid drinking such beverages and if you do, use a straw. As funny as it would look drinking Soda or Alcohol from a straw, it would do your teeth a favor.

3. Sugar or Sweets

DO you crave sugar or sweets inclusive of chocolates? It feels so amazing on the tongue but does it feel the same on teeth? Obviously No! Sweets are foods for bacteria which they convert into acid and thereby melting the enamel away. You cannot eliminate sugar completely but you can reduce its intake. Also, brushing after meals to remove any stuck substance would eliminate the risk of facing cavities in your teeth.

4. Ice

The cold crunchy crave that most people would not deny. As good as it feels especially during summers, as bad it is for teeth. Even though teeth can handle hard substance it is not meant for chewing those things. Hard substances may lead to fractures of the tooth or may lead to chipping of the tooth. Also, it may lead to cracking of tooth enamel which is first line of defense against tooth decay.

In event of chipping of tooth or pain after eating ice, consult and see your dentist soon, the earlier you meet the better are results.

5. Citrus fruits

Source of Vitamin C for your body can be bad for your teeth. I am talking about lemon, oranges, etc. which are the major sources for vitamin C in everybody’s life. The acid content in such fruits not only affect directly by eroding the enamel but also lead to infestation of bacteria due to sugar content in it.

Swishing water inside the mouth just after consuming such sources and keeping such foods for less amount of time in the mouth would reduce the damage done to the minimum and allow you to cherish these fruits to the maximum.

6. Potato Chips

By Potato chips I mean every starchy food you can come across like pasta, burgers, bread, etc. This refined form of carbohydrate is not only bad for your health but also for your teeth. Digestion process starts right in mouth due to saliva. Saliva breaks down starch easily in sugar which causes acidic damage to enamel when fed by bacteria present in your mouth.

This damage can also be reduced by reducing the time spent by these foods in your mouth. Brushing and swishing water in mouth would get rid of any stuck material in your teeth.

7. Foods that dry your mouth

Saliva is not just a helping hand in digestion and swallowing. It works charms in your battle against plaque. It keeps washing the bacteria off your teeth and returns the minerals to it. So any substance that dries your mouth is working against your body’s way of fighting oral issues naturally. Abstaining from coffee, alcohol, energy drinks, etc. would reduce the incidences of you facing oral issues.

Oral health is important for your body because it’s the intake source for your body. Every issue and infection you have in your mouth would eventually cause issues in your body. Since teeth pain is one of the worst pain humans suffer. Consulting Dentist regularly and getting checked would avoid the chance of you facing the conundrum.