A lot of times we go into depth about what foods you need to include in your life if you want to have a healthier mouth, however it can be just as important to avoid certain foods altogether. By not including certain foods you’ll greatly increase the overall health of your mouth. It’s import to make sure you avoid these foods a much as possible. If you’re eating these foods on a daily basis even while having healthy brushing and flossing practices, your dental health will not be living up to its potential.
In this article we’re going to cover what foods you need to be avoiding if you want to have the healthiest mouth possible.
1. Ice
A lot of people think that ice is actually good for your teeth, since it is just water after all. However, chewing ice can be very bad for both your teeth your jaw. By eating ice continuously it can cause your teeth to break down. You may even chip a tooth if you’re not careful.
It’s not what’s in the ice that’s bad for your teeth, but it’s the hardness of the ice. You should also be aware of any hard substances that you might put into your mouth. The last thing you want to do is chip or crack a tooth, and have to make an emergency dental visit.
2. Citrus and acidic fruits
If you eat foods that are very acidic it can break down the enamel that coats your teeth. When the enamel on your teeth starts to break down it makes your teeth a lot more vulnerable to decay, which means the potential to get cavities increases greatly.
If you do consume a lot of citrus make sure that you follow it with a lot of water. This will reduce the presence of citrus in your mouth and make it less able to break down your enamel.
3. Coffee and teas
Coffee and tea aren’t necessarily bad for your teeth, however when you add too many things to them, such as, sugar their health properties start to detract. If you drink a lot of coffee you may also start to stain your teeth.
Once again, keep your coffee and tea drinking to a minimum, if you want to have whiter teeth. Also, make sure to try not to add a bunch of sugar to your drinks. However, if you must add sugar in your morning cup try to make sure to follow that with a glass of water.
4. Sticky Foods
Foods that are stickier in nature, such as dried fruit tend to stay on your teeth much longer than other textures of food. This happens, because of there texture. When a food stays in your teeth it has a greater chance to cause a cavity, or other dental issues.
If you do happen to eat something sticky, such as dried fruit, make sure that you offset this by brushing and flossing your teeth immediately following.
5. Soda and sugary drinks
Soda is extremely unhealthy for your mouth. The massive amount of sugar in soft drinks causes, bacteria to form and eat away at the enamel on your teeth, which can lead to cavities. The carbonation is generally more acidic, so that’s bad for your teeth as well. Lastly, the caffeine in some sodas causes your mouth the dry out, which is bad for saliva production.
Do your mouth a favor and consume less soda, or at least drink water immediately following.
About the Author – Zane Schwarzlose is a writer at Greenspoint Dental, a Houston dentist office. Zane enjoys eating healthy food.
