If you want to maintain good dental health, consider your own eating habits. Daily brushing and flossing are essential of course. But the food you eat has a major impact on the condition of your teeth. Sugary foods and snacks are obviously bad for your teeth and degrade enamel. But other foods have hidden sugar and dangers that you might not be aware of. In this post, we’ll talk about some surprising foods that are bad for your teeth.
Juice
Juice can be healthy, especially if you are trying to get more vitamins and nutrients into your body. But juice also has a lot of sugar in it. It doesn’t matter if it’s added naturally from fruit. Your teeth are still being bathed in sugar. And with the amount of sugar in juice, it’s easy for bacteria to consume and convert it into acid that creates cavities.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t drink juices. You can still have it, just try sipping it through a straw. Alternatively, you can brush your teeth 45 minutes after you have the juice. This way your teeth won’t weaken.
Chew-Able Vitamins
Chew-able vitamins are another unlikely source of teeth damage. They are great for your diet, but not so great for your dental health. These types of vitamins might taste good, but their sticky texture and sugar like ingredients can stick between your teeth. Eventually, eating enough of these could result in cavities.
You don’t have to stop taking vitamins, but it’s probably best to have these in a pill form. This way, you’ll be saving yourself a trip to the dentist!
Bread
Most people don’t equate bread to dental issues. But you might want to rethink this food if you wish to prevent tooth decay. In particular, white bread can cause issues for your mouth. When you chew on it, the bread breaks down into sugar. It also turns into a pasty substance that can easily stick between your teeth. This will, of course, lead to cavities.
You don’t have to get rid of the bread in your home, but you should eat less refined carbs. Whole wheat bread is a better option for your teeth. It has less sugar and doesn’t stick to your teeth the same way white bread does.
White Wine
While white wine doesn’t directly stain your teeth, it can break down your enamel and lead to staining from other food. Any kind of alcohol is bad for your teeth as it dries out the mouth and leads food to stick to your teeth.
If you plan on drinking white wine, eat cheese with it to protect from enamel breaking down. And if you plan on drinking other types of alcohol, stay hydrated so your mouth doesn’t dry up.
Dried Fruit
The last surprising food on our list is dried fruit. This is a great healthy snack, but unfortunately, it isn’t so great for your teeth. Dried fruit is gummy and sticky and can leave remnants of food in your mouth. You’ll want to brush and floss your teeth to get rid of these sugary bits of food. The sooner the better!