Many foods and beverages can cause plague which does serious damage to your teeth; plague is a bacteria-filled sticky film that contributes to gum disease and tooth decay- for instance, after eating a sugary snack or meal, the sugars cause the bacteria to release acids that attack your enamel, when the enamel breaks down, cavities can develop causing complications like pain, chewing problems, and tooth abscesses. Also, if you don’t brush or floss your teeth, your plaque will harden and turn into tartar- tartar above your gums can lead to gingivitis, an early form of gum disease.
However, besides brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing and visiting a dentist regularly, you can prevent plaque from wreaking havoc on your mouth by avoiding or limiting some of these foods.
1. Hard Candies
While hard candies seem harmless, eating too many exposes your teeth to constant sugar which can be really harmful to your teeth, in addition to being full of sugar, hard candies also put your teeth at risk of dental emergency such as a broken or chipped tooth.
2. Ice
You can use your ice to chill beverages, but chewing on it can damage your enamel and make you susceptible to dental emergencies such as chipped, cracked, or broken teeth, or loosened crowns, therefore, to resist this urge, opt for chilled water or drinks without ice.
3. Citrus Fruits
Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are tasty as both fruits and juices, and are packed with vitamin C but frequent exposures to their acid content can erode your enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to decay over time- even squeezing a lemon or lime into a glass of water adds acid to the drink. If you want to get a dose of their antioxidants and vitamins, eat and drink them in moderation at mealtime and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water afterward.
4. Dried Fruits
You likely assume that dried fruits are a healthy snack, that may be true, but many dried fruits such as apricots, prunes, figs, and raisins, etc are sticky, they get stuck and cling in your teeth and their crevices, leaving behind lots of sugar, so if you do like to eat dried fruits, make sure you rinse your mouth with water, and then brush and floss carefully after.
5. Potato Chips
There is no doubt that the crunch of a potato chip is eternally satisfying, unfortunately, they’re loaded with starch, which becomes sugar that can get trapped in and between your teeth which can lead to plaque build-up. So after you’ve gorged on a bag of chips, make sure you take extra care to floss to remove all the trapped particles.
6. Alcohol
Excessive Alcohol consumption causes dehydration and dry mouth; a dry mouth lacks saliva, which you need to keep your teeth healthy- saliva prevents food from sticking to your teeth and washes away food particles, it even helps repair early signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral infections. Therefore, you need to limit your alcohol consumption and keep your mouth hydrated by drinking plenty of water and using fluoride rinses and oral hydration solutions.
