Top Five Worst Foods for Your Teeth

While it may be true that you can use professional cleaning services to make your teeth stronger or get filling and crowns to mitigate the impact of a rotting tooth, prevention would be a much better medicine. Prevention can also help to ensure that your yearly expenses stay low. Once you have sustained cavities and stains, it will be expensive to fix and they each come with their own health effects as well. One of the things you can do to prevent the occurrence of cavities and stains is to eliminate or reduce your intake of foods that are bad for your teeth. Below, we go into the specifics about some of the worst culprits that are bad for your teeth.

1) Carbonated Beverages

We’re well aware of the fact that we need to minimize our soda intake, regardless if it has the word ‘diet’ on it. A dental supplier study, which was published in the National Library of Medicine, showed that heavy consumption of carbonated soda can be as detrimental to the teeth as cocaine and methamphetamine. 

The problem with carbonated beverages is that they allow plaque to create more acid, which causes the tooth enamel to corrode. Meaning, each time you take a sip of soda, it’s like drinking acid that destroys the protective layer over your tooth. It’s also worth noting that dark-colored sodas like cola, can stain your teeth. And, even worse, is the fact that if you brush your teeth as soon as you finish drinking, it could actually accelerate the decay process.

2) Fruit Juice

This one may come as a shocker but bear with me. Even though fruit juices are healthy and packed with vitamins and minerals, fruit juices are also filled with acid which wears down the enamel. Research demonstrates that people who sip a fruit drink over a period of ten minutes experience enamel erosion. In fact, the researchers noted that the only way you can avoid enamel erosion when you drink fruit juices is to drink it down as fast as possible. Other studies have shown that certain juices like orange juice reduce your tooth enamel by as much as 80%.

3) Dried Fruit

Most people assume that dried fruits are healthy. To a certain extent, they do provide some nutritional value. But their sugar content makes them a less ideal option than their hydrated counterparts. Dried fruits typically get stuck in the teeth which can lead to bacterial growth. Additionally, they’re packed with sugar, and as you know, there’s a direct link between sugar and tooth decay. Once you consume excess sugar, sugar molecules mix with the bacteria and saliva in your mouth. This combination eventually turns to plaque. When plaque is left on the teeth, it dissolves the enamel. Once the enamel is destroyed, it leads to cavities.

4) Blueberries

In the dental community, experts regard blueberries as being a prime example of how some foods can be healthy, but bad for your teeth at the same time. Known for being rich in antioxidants and vitamins, blueberries are a delicious food choice. But if you ever spilled berry juice on your shirt, you know how difficult it can be to remove it. A good rule of thumb to go by is that if it stains your shirt, it can stain your teeth. If you eat blueberries on a regular basis it can lead to the darkening and staining of your teeth. Therefore, ensure that you limit your intake to ensure that your teeth remain white.

5) Bread

One of the more surprising culprits of this is bread. This entails wheat bread, white bread, Italian rolls, rye, and more. The problem with bread is starch content. When the enzymes in your saliva begin the process of breaking down the starches in bread, it transforms starch into sugars. As mentioned above, sugar leads to the buildup of plaque which causes tooth decay. Therefore, ensure that you limit your starch intake if you want to improve the quality of your smile. Other food sources which are filled with starch include:

• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Cereal

How Often Should I See the Dentist?

Depending on your oral health needs, you may need to visit the doctor multiple times per year. But, in general, most experts recommend seeing the dentist for a checkup and cleaning service at least twice per year.