Foods to Avoid for Good Dental Health
This is a collaborative post.
Maintaining good dental health involves more than just brushing and flossing regularly. If you didn’t already know, your diet also plays a vital role in the health of your teeth, gums, and overall dental health.
While it’s important to focus on eating a balanced diet of whole foods full of essential vitamins and nutrients, there are certain foods that you should try to avoid or consume in moderation to promote good dental health and hopefully avoid needing veneers in the future.
Here are some foods to be mindful of when it comes to dental health:
Sugary Foods and Drinks
Not only can consuming too much sugar contribute to weight gain and other health issues, but eating or drinking excessive amounts of sugar can also affect your dental health as well, increasing the risk of tooth decay.
According to Fab Dental, when sugar is consumed, it interacts with the bacteria in your mouth producing acid that slowly dissolves the enamel on your teeth ultimately causing cavities and tooth abscesses.
To reduce your risk of tooth decay and cavities, it’s best to limit your intake of sugary foods and beverages such as candy, cakes, cookies sodas, and other sugary beverages.
However, it’s perfectly okay to indulge in the occasional sweet treat. Just brush and floss to remove the sugars and maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Acidic Foods and Drinks
Acidic foods and drinks can erode the tooth enamel making teeth more vulnerable to sensitivity, discolouration, and decay.
While getting your daily intake of fruits is vital for your health because they contain vitamin C and other valuable nutrients, certain fruits like citrus, pineapple, and tomatoes are highly acidic and can wear down the enamel on your teeth without the proper aftercare.
Other foods to avoid include vinegar, pickled foods, and carbonated drinks. While you don’t have to cut all these foods out altogether, it’s best to have them in moderation and take precautions to protect your teeth when you do eat them.
Using a straw when drinking juices and carbonated drinks help prevent acids from coming in direct contact with your teeth. You can also rinse your mouth with water after eating fruit to dilute the acid and remember to brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste to keep your enamel strong.
Sticky, Chewy Foods, and Candy
Foods that are sticky or chewy such as dried fruits, caramel, soft candies, and taffy can get stuck in your teeth and promote tooth decay if not thoroughly cleaned.
Chewing on hard candies can also be damaging as they can chip or crack your teeth, while sucking on hard candies exposes your teeth to sugar for an extended period of time, increasing the risk of tooth decay.
Starchy Foods
Starchy foods like chips, crackers, and bread can break down into simple sugars, contributing to tooth decay the same way sugary foods would.
Starchy foods also tend to get trapped in the crevices of your teeth, leading to issues with your teeth and gums as well as bad breath if not removed.
Regular flossing can help remove these foods that get stuck between your teeth that brushing may miss.
Tips for Dental Health
Here are some other oral hygiene tips to help reduce the risk of tooth decay from the foods you eat:
If you do eat sugary foods, choose to have them with meals. Your mouth makes more saliva during meals which helps to reduce the effect of acid production of sugars and saliva helps naturally clean the mouth.
Drink more water. Regularly drinking water hydrates your mouth and washes away some debris that adheres to oral surfaces. This process can help prevent tooth decay and also better equip your body to fight problematic bacteria in the mouth.
Brush your teeth twice a day, preferably morning and night or after meal times. Also, you should floss at least once a day.
Visit a dentist for regular checkups and cleanings. Dentists monitor your teeth and mouth for potential health risks that you’d be unlikely to catch on your own. Bi-annual dental cleanings also help address any spots you might miss in your normal brushing routine.