Featured image 9 types of food that are bad for your teeth
Effect on the health of your teeth
Who doesn't love good food? A good breakfast, a snack in between meals, a nice dinner, but did you know that what you eat also affects the health of your teeth?
Certain foods can help feed the bacteria responsible for developing plaque on your teeth. Plaque can lead to inflammation and bleeding gums. In contrast, other foods can break down your gums and tooth structure, as enamel deteriorates when sugars or starches mix with plaque.
At TCN Tandartsen, we not only provide the best treatment but consider education just as important. Therefore, we list below 9 types of food and drinks that you are better off avoiding for healthy teeth and good oral health:
1. Soft drink
Although it is a very popular drink among children, soft drinks can cause serious problems for the health of your teeth. The sugar in the drink sticks to your teeth and erodes the enamel. The sugar in soft drinks can cause tooth decay and cavities, and the risk increases the more soft drinks you consume!
In addition to sugars, soft drinks also contain acidic byproducts that can wear away and soften tooth enamel, making it vulnerable to plaque formation and dental erosion.
2. Citrus fruits and juices
Citrus is packed with citric acid, the main cause of enamel erosion and tooth decay. Acids in fruit and fruit juices can cause cavities through tooth erosion. Several studies have shown that the acids in fruit juices can be very harmful to your teeth.
For example, researchers at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health discovered that drinking orange juice reduced tooth enamel hardness by 84%!
3. Coffee
The most significant effect coffee has on your teeth is that it causes stains. These stains are difficult to remove naturally, and certain bleaching techniques can damage your tooth enamel, making them more susceptible to erosion and plaque. Naturally, there are indeed responsible bleaching techniques available. Read more about them here. turned out to be of your teeth.
Depending on the type of coffee and the amount of sugar you add, the drink can also contribute to the formation of acids in your mouth that lead to tooth decay.
Therefore, moderate your coffee consumption for healthy teeth.
4. Candy
Avoid eating candy because it gets stuck in your teeth and can cause cavities.
Lollipops, peppermints, and other hard candies expose teeth to sugar for extended periods. Most of us also enjoy chewing on hard candies, which can cause splinters in the teeth or even cracks, creating a surface on which plaque can build up.
Candy is packed with sugar, which, together with bacteria in your mouth, forms acids and contributes to severe tooth decay. Sticky and chewy candies can also be a problem, as they get stuck in the crevices and spaces between your teeth. This prolonged exposure can also contribute to the formation of cavities and tooth decay. In the long term, this can even affect your roots, and a root canal treatment or endodontics treatment inevitable.
5. Starch-based products
Starch-based products such as potatoes, chips, bread, and crackers are also bad for your teeth. Food particles get stuck in your mouth, providing a foothold for plaque-causing bacteria. Chips, bread, and other starch-based products sometimes contain just as much sugar as candy.
The carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars once you have eaten them, and these sugars linger around your mouth after the starchy snack has been broken down. Subsequently, just like with sugary drinks, bacteria feed on the sugars and eat away at your teeth.
Avoid eating starchy foods such as donuts and chips to keep your teeth healthy.
6. Alcohol
Everyone knows that alcohol consumption is not exactly healthy. However, many people forget or do not even realize that a dry mouth is a side effect of alcohol consumption. If your mouth is dry, you have too little saliva to maintain good oral health.
Saliva helps keep your mouth full, preventing food buildup and washing away food debris. Furthermore, saliva contains proteins and minerals that maintain tooth enamel and protect it against oral infections, gum disease, and tooth decay.
7. Chewing on ice
Who would have thought that ice would be a food to avoid when supporting oral health? Although ice consists only of water and keeps your drink cool, it is not good to chew on.
Frequent chewing on ice can lead to damaged enamel and the risk of cracked, chipped, or broken teeth, and increase the likelihood of existing crowns becoming loose. Furthermore, other problems such as tooth sensitivity and compromised fillings can arise from regularly chewing on ice.
8. Sports drinks
Sports drinks are bad for your oral health because they contain a lot of sugar and salt. Sports drinks advertise performance for athletes, and therefore people believe that sports drinks are completely healthy.
Although sports drinks can replenish electrolytes and prevent dehydration, they can also harm overall oral health. Just like soft drinks, sports drinks contain a lot of sugars and acidic byproducts that erode tooth enamel.
9. Sugared dried fruits
Dried and sugared fruit such as raisins, dried apricots, prunes, or bananas can be a very healthy snack in a balanced diet, but the stickiness of these snacks is not good for your teeth.
Often, these sticky and chewy snacks can get stuck between your teeth, making it difficult for saliva to rinse them away. This results in a sugar bacteria that can damage your teeth. That is why it is so important to brush and floss your teeth regularly.
Conclusion: Know what you eat, for your teeth too!
Of course, you do not have to stop eating all 9 foods from now on. However, it is important to consider the impact these foods have on your teeth and therefore to consume them in moderation and clean thoroughly between your teeth. Also try to limit the number of eating and drinking moments to 7 times a day. Still having a juice? Then try to drink it in one or two sittings. If you suffer from cavities or tooth pain, you can always appointment work with us. Because we have no waiting lists, you are helped immediately!
Afraid of the dentist?
Are you afraid of the dentist or have you had bad experiences in the past? In that case too, you can come to TCN Tandartsen Alkmaar. We have a special fear dentist employed for people with a (severe) fear of the dentist. If your fear is too great for a regular treatment, it is also possible to make an appointment with our anesthesia dentist. We consider care for every patient equally important!