Straight Teeth in Less Time
Beware Of These Foods That Can Cause Damage To Your Teeth
Lois Murray
When it comes to maintaining good oral health, it goes beyond brushing and flossing twice a day -- you also need to be careful about what you eat. Some foods will cause more damage than others, especially if the remnants from them sit on your teeth all day long. Here are some foods that you should avoid due to the harm that they can cause:
Candy
One food that should be quite obvious is candy, especially hard candy. When you combine all of that sugar and the hard surface that you bite down on, it runs the risk of causing several problems. A Jolly Rancher, for example, can get stuck to your teeth, and potentially ruin dental work that you had done. If it gets stuck to a crown when you bite down on it, the candy is sticky enough to form a tight grip on the crown and loosen it from your teeth. That sugar is also going to sit on your teeth all day long and cause tooth decay, especially if you eat it regularly.
Ice
You may think that ice is safe to chew on, since it is just frozen water, but it is hard enough that it can cause some serious damage when biting down on it. Ice can cause teeth to chip or crack if you are not careful and chew on it regularly.
Acidic Food
Be aware that anything that is acidic can cause damage to your tooth enamel. You may think you are making a smart choice by drinking diet coke, but the acidity of the drink can cause the enamel to slowly erode over time. In addition to sodas, regularly eating oranges, grapefruit, and other acidic fruit can be problematic.
Alcohol
The main problem with alcohol is how it dries out your mouth after you drink it. This reduces how much saliva you produce, and doesn't allow that saliva to wash over your teeth and remove bacteria. Drinking a beer with your meals means that your mouth will not do as good of a job naturally cleaning the surface of your teeth and getting rid of all the food.
Popcorn
It's not the popcorn itself that you need to be concerned about, but the kernels that were not popped. Taking a handful of popcorn to chew on can result in biting hard and fast, and if a kernel gets between your teeth, it can cause some damage. It can easily dislodge a crown, ruin dental bonding, or cause a tooth to chip.
For more information about foods that are and aren't safe for your teeth, speak with your dentist.
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I had braces when I was a kid. Back then, you had to wear those metal wires and rubber bands for what seemed like forever. When I saw that my child’s teeth were going to be crooked like mine, I was dreading the years of braces and orthodontist appointments and limited diets that I saw stretching ahead of us. I was pleased to find out that braces today are very different from braces when I was a kid. They don’t need to be worn for nearly as long, and they aren’t as intrusive, either. My daughter got braces that can barely be seen, and she can remove them when she eats, so she doesn’t have to give up her favorite foods. I was so impressed that I started a blog to talk about modern day tooth straightening techniques. Braces have come a long way.