You probably have hard that “you are what you eat”. What you eat affects your mental and physical health as well as your dental health. Certain foods and drinks end up damaging your teeth, promoting plague buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease.
When you eat or drink sugary snacks or drinks, the bacteria in the mouth releases acids that eat away the tooth enamel. As the tooth enamel wears down, cavities show up. Good oral hygiene and limiting certain foods can help to promote your dental and oral health.
Here are the top 10 foods that are toxic to your dental health:
1. Candies
Sugary foods such as candies are the main culprit behind the enamel erosion, tooth decay and many other dental problems. The sugar in the mouth is harmful to your tooth, promoting bad bacteria in the mouth that eats away the tooth enamel.
2. Carbonated beverages, sugary drinks, sodas and sport drinks
Sugary foods and drinks such as sodas, carbonated beverages, sugary drinks, sodas and sport drinks promote plaque buildup and bad bacteria in the mouth that produces acid and weakens the tooth enamel.
3. Crunchy foods like potato chips
Do you have a love affair with crunchy foods such as potato chips? Potato chips are starchy foods that gets trapped in your teeth and can lead to plaque buildup.
4. Chewing hard stuff like ice
Chewing hard foods and ice can leave you with sensitive tooth and your tooth may be more prone to breakage and damaged enamel.
5. Citrus fruits
Citrus foods are highly acidic and can end up eroding the tooth enamel, making the tooth more prone to decay and breakage. It is always wise to drink water after eating citrus fruits.
6. Sticky foods
When it comes to the health of your teeth and gums, sticky and chewy foods are the worst enemies promoting bad bacteria and more acidity in the mouth.
7. Limit alcohol consumption
Alcoholic beverages promote dehydration and dry mouth. Reduced saliva in the mouth can promote gum disease, oral infections and tooth decay.
8. Starchy foods
Starchy foods such as white bread, white rice, or pasta are high in refined carbohydrates which turn into sugar in the mouth and can promote plaque and bad bacteria in your mouth.
9. Foods that dry your mouth
The saliva in the mouth promotes mineralization and valuable minerals such as calcium and phosphate get absorbed in the tooth through saliva and mineralization process. Saliva can even to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and oral infections.
10. Highly acidic foods like lemons and vinegar
Highly acidic foods like lemons and vinegar can eat away the tooth enamel, leaving the tooth more prone to breakage and erosion.