Oral health is maintained by visiting your dentist, brushing and flossing your teeth, and eating healthy foods. There are many food products and drinks that negatively affect your teeth and gums. What type of food and drink should you avoid to keep your oral cavity healthy? It is best to stay away from or limit your intake of high sugar products, sticky foods and sucking on items for extended periods of time. To keep your teeth and gums in tip-top shape here is what you should avoid.
Stop drinking pop on a daily basis and try switching to water or pure juice with no added sugar. You might be addicted to consuming a particular soda but your teeth are being harmed in the process. How? Many sodas re extremely high in sugar which clings to your teeth. These sugars open the gates for bacteria producing acids to cause tooth decay. Regular consumption of acidic pop erodes the enamel on your teeth creating decay and cavities. Every sip you take from your favourite sugar-sweetened pop can is another step to the destruction of your teeth.
You might wake up in the morning and reach for your breakfast go-to of toasted bread with some peanut butter and jelly. While whole-grain bread might appear super healthy, the sugars in your toast and the addition of spreads are harming your teeth. Not only do the sugars in the jam or jelly cause erosion to your pearly whites but the sugars in your slice of bread cause a surge of acid that can erode your tooth enamel. Even more, bread is chewy. White bread especially, takes on a gummy consistency when being eaten, making it easier for small particles to sneak into the spaces between your teeth and stay there. These small pieces can create big problems further down the road, resulting in swollen gums causing pain. Food can get lodged in your mouth for months without you even realizing it is there. Keep your regular visits to the dentist so he/she can check for and get rid of hidden food.
After a big dinner, you pop a breath mint in your mouth to help camouflage the smell from those delicious garlic marinated ribs. Sucking on a mint will help you have better breath for the time being but you are eroding your teeth in the process. The longer you suck on your mint, the better chance you have of deepening any erosion you may have. You are essentially soaking your teeth in sugar through the simple savouring of your after-dinner breath freshener.
Be careful about what foods and drink you choose to put in your mouth. You may be harming your oral cavity without even realizing it. Learn some ways to stop endangering your oral health. Are you unsure what foods are ok to eat for a healthy smile? Check with your dentist as he/she will guide you to the safest foods and best routines for positive dental hygiene.
