When you grab a snack to eat, a savory treat to enjoy, or a drink to quench your thirst, do you think about the damage that it can do to your teeth? We are guessing that you probably don’t. However, you should always consider which foods and beverages will cause damage to your teeth and have adverse effects on both your oral and overall health.
Below, Dr. Samuels in Rockville, MD outlines five foods and beverages that can damage your teeth by promoting tooth decay and gum disease. Dr. Samuels is not implying that you eliminate these foods and beverages from your diet, but to make sure you’re taking proper care of your teeth after consumption.
ALSO READ: How Can I Keep Cavities From Developing?
1.) Hard Candy/Suckers:
Hard candy and suckers melt in your mouth over a duration of time. Due to this, sugar and syrup are slowly being released into your mouth over a long period of time. As these sugars are released, bacteria use them to create acid. If you bite into a sucker or hard candy, they can easily cause a dental emergency as well.
2.) Soda
Bacteria use sugar from foods and drinks to produce acids that attack your enamel. Sodas typically contain acid already and then help bacteria produce additional acid that attacks your tooth enamel. Unfortunately, sodas are typically caffeinated and will cause you to dehydrate and develop dry mouth. When your mouth is dry, sugars, acid, and bacteria can harm your teeth as saliva is not present to protect them.
3.) Coffee and Tea (if not made correctly)
If you do not add anything to your tea or coffee, they are not bad choices for a beverage to drink. However, when you start adding flavors, syrup, and sugars, you start to make these drinks dangerous for your teeth. Similar to soda, coffee and tea can be caffeinated and cause you to suffer from dry mouth.
4.) Chewy/Sticky Food
Do you enjoy indulging in those fruity candies? You know, Starbursts, Skittles, or Sweet Tarts? Due to the texture of these candies, they tend to stay on your teeth for long periods of time and cause damage. In addition to candies, dried fruits are typically chewy and will do damage to your teeth as well. Rinsing your mouth with water, brushing, and flossing will help to remove particles of chewy food from your teeth.
5.) Citric Fruits
The biggest drawback of soda is the acids that they introduce to your mouth. Similar to soda, citric fruits are chalk full of acid. Acids eat away at your enamel and make you more prone to developing cavities over time. Squeezing lemons or limes into your water might seem like an innocent habit, but it can actually ruin the health benefits of drinking water for your mouth. Always drink plain tap water.
Are you in need of a dentist in Rockville, MD?
If you read this article, you are probably concerned about the health of your teeth and mouth. Dr. Samuels in Rockville, MD wants your mouth to be as healthy and happy as possible. If you are in need of a dentist, Dr. Samuels welcomes you to schedule an appointment at his office!
Comments:
Patient Education
Archive:
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
Tags
- Tooth Sensitivity (3)
- Sensitive Teeth (4)
- Mouth Pain (1)
- Oral Pain (1)
- cavities (7)
- tooth decay (9)
- oral health (12)
- oral hygiene (9)
- dental health (8)
- dental hygiene (3)
- bromelain (1)
- saliva production (1)
- dry mouth (5)
- xylitol (3)
- xerostomia (3)
- dry mouth. xerostomia (1)
- gum disease (6)
- Healthy Living (1)
- Healthy Eating (1)
- Healthy Dieting (1)
- oral cancer (2)
- tobacco usage (1)
- cigarette smoking (1)
- children's dental health (2)
- children's tooth care (1)
- pediatric dentistry (2)
- children's oral hygiene (1)
- tooth discoloration (1)
- tooth whitening (1)
- tooth enamel (2)
- exposed dentin (1)
- cosmetic dentistry (2)
- halitosis (1)
- bad breath (1)
- toothbrushing (1)
- brushing (1)
- fluoride (1)
- water fluoridation (1)
- Teeth Whitening (1)
- Oral Care (1)
- Teeth Cleaning (1)
- Rockville dentist (1)
- dentist in Rockville (1)
- snoring (1)
- sleep apnea (3)
- OSA (3)
- CSA (3)
- bite guard (1)
- night guard (1)
- sleep therapy (1)
- bruxism (1)
- grinding teeth (1)
- clenching teeth (1)
- stress (1)
- dentist in rockville MD (10)
- rockville MD dentist (9)
- halloween (1)
- cavity prevention (1)
- kid's dental health (1)
- CPAP machine (1)
- sleep apnea treatment (1)
- dentist 20852 (7)
- causes of sleep apnea (1)
- oral cancer treatment (1)
- oral cancer exam (1)
- oral cancer screening (2)
- oral cancer prevention (1)
- signs of oral cancer (1)
- gum recession (1)
- exposed roots (1)
- dental implants (1)
- dental implant procedure (1)
- scaling and root planing (1)
- treating gum disease (1)
- new years resolutions (1)
- flossing (1)
- gum disease tooth decay (1)
- proper dental hygiene (1)
- proper toothbrush care (1)
- properly storing toothbrush (1)
- Rockville MD (1)
