8 Worst Foods For Oral Health

Your teeth are under constant assault from harmful oral bacteria, which produce acid as a byproduct of their digestive process. These acids erode away tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. Tooth decay can lead to cavities, infection, and even tooth loss. However, your diet can also affect the pH balance in your mouth. Some foods raise your mouth’s acidity, while other foods lower it. Maintaining the pH balance in your mouth can help protect your smile. Here are some worst foods for oral health.

Sugary Foods

Did you know that sugar contributes to over 60% of tooth decay? This is because it erodes your tooth enamel and causes cavities. Be sure to brush and floss daily and schedule regular dental care visits to keep your teeth healthy!

Soda

Soda is not only full of sugar and acids that damage your teeth, but it is also highly acidic. The phosphoric acid found in soda dissolves the tooth enamel, which protects your teeth from bacteria and other harmful things found in the food and drinks you consume each day. Drinking water can help minimize the effects, but it’s best to simply avoid soda if possible.

Carbonated Water

If you drink a lot of soda, you may be doing more harm to your teeth. Carbonation can soften enamel, causing it to wear down faster. The enamel helps to protect your teeth against bacteria and acid attacks, so reducing its strength can increase your risk for decay.

Hard Candy

Hard candy contains a lot of sugar, which is not good for your teeth. If you eat lots of it, the sugar will stick to the teeth and cause decay. The sugar in candy also causes plaque to form on the teeth, which leads to other oral health problems.

Coffee and Tea

While coffee has some antioxidants and some polyphenols, which are good for oral health, it also has some caffeine and theobromine, which are both bad for the teeth and gums. These two ingredients increase acidity in the mouth, which causes tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral issues. Caffeine is also bad for the teeth because it causes them to stain more easily. Over time, the stains will become darker and more difficult to remove. Drinking coffee will also dry out the mouth, which can lead to bad breath or dry mouth.

Tea is worse than coffee. Like coffee, tea has caffeine and theobromine in it, but it also has more tannins than coffee does. Tannins can irritate the lining of the mouth and cause tooth erosion. It also tends to stick to teeth more and can stain them, just like coffee and soda.

Both coffee and tea can also stain your teeth over time which makes them look yellower. If you’re concerned about the color of your teeth, you should drink less coffee or tea.

Wine

While wine is often thought of as an alcoholic beverage that’s bad for your teeth, it’s actually very nutritious. It contains antioxidants that fight disease in the body, it’s rich in iron that helps with anemia, and it can also help your heart by lowering bad cholesterol. However, if you’re drinking a lot of red wine or you’re consuming high-sugar alcoholic drinks (like cocktails), you may be doing damage to your teeth. Alcohol can make your mouth dry, which can increase cavity risk by eroding your enamel. It can also stain teeth and cause bad breath. Lastly, drinking alcohol can make it difficult for you to control yourself when it comes to snacking on unhealthy foods or sweets. All of these factors can result in tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. So, remember that moderation is key, as excessive alcohol consumption can lead to mouth cancer and other oral health issues.

Citrus Fruits and Juices

Though citrus fruits are healthy for your body as a whole, they cause serious damage to your teeth when consumed frequently. The acidic nature of citrus erodes enamel and leaves teeth vulnerable to decay. Instead of drinking orange juice every morning, you should stick to water during breakfast. 

Crackers

Crackers are often made with enriched flour or bleached white flour, which contains zero nutritional value whatsoever. They are made of simple carbohydrates, which can instigate cavities by feeding the bacteria in the mouth that break down sugars found in these snacks. The bacteria then excrete acid onto the teeth, causing demineralization, also known as tooth decay. It also contains little fiber, which is important in keeping the GI tract regular and preventing constipation which is a precursor to other health issues like colon cancer. The crackers that are flavored with cheese are also rich in sodium which promotes water retention and bloating. Lastly, the acidic and sugar content of these snacks encourages the growth of plaque and tartar on the tooth surface, which leads to yellowing on the tooth enamel, called dental caries. Patients are encouraged to avoid crackers as possible as they can.

To learn more about good oral health, schedule an appointment right away with Ideal Smiles of Stamford. We are located at 86 Prospect St Suite 300, Stamford, CT 06901. You can also call us at (203) 359-2222 or mail us at [email protected].