The damage can be lessened and often prevented with proper oral care. Today Access Dental & Dentures has put together a list of common foods that can be damaging to your teeth. We've followed that with a few tips for counteracting the possibility of that damage.
Sticky Foods
Candies such as gummies, caramels, and lollipops are the most obvious culprits mainly because of the high sugar content, but the stickiness is a major downside too. Sticky foods take longer to chew so they are in your mouth for an extended period of time. They also cling to the surface of your teeth & the crevices in between making them more likely to cause decay.
You might be surprised to find out that dried fruits are a part of this category too. When it comes to fruit, fresh versions have less concentrated sugar, so they are a better choice.
Starchy Foods
Any type of food heavy in starches can be dangerous for your mouth. Saliva breaks down those starches into sugar. Foods such as soft breads and potato chips will get trapped between your teeth and feed the bacteria found in plaque. Less refined varieties of bread, such as whole wheat, contain less added sugars so they are not as easily broken down but will still get stuck inside your mouth as easily as the rest.
Citrus
Citrus fruits have many health benefits for the rest of your body, but the high acid content can erode the enamel on your teeth. The acid can also be bothersome to any sores inside your mouth. Drinking water along with citrus fruits can help to wash away some of those acids so they are on your teeth for a shorter period of time.
Ice
Drinking water is great for your teeth. When you chew on its solid form of ice, the enamel on your teeth can be damaged. The same can be said about chewing on any type of hard food item. This makes you more susceptible to dental emergencies like chipped, cracked, or broken teeth and maybe even loosened crowns.
Beverages
Saliva prevents food from sticking to teeth and it washes away food particles. Certain types of beverages may quench your thirst, but they actually dry out your mouth and deplete the amount of saliva made. Alcohol carbonated sodas, coffee, and tea are guilty of making this happen.
As for the carbonated sodas, they also contain acids that attack enamel, not to mention the high amounts of sugar they contain. Dark sodas can also stain your teeth. Drinking through a straw can help by causing the liquids to mostly bypass your teeth.
Help Prevent the Damage
We seriously doubt that anyone is willing to cut those delicious foods out completely, but there are things that you can do to keep the damage to a minimum. Drink plenty of water daily and rinse your mouth out with water when you eat something you know may be sticking around until you can brush later. Floss your teeth every day and brush at least twice a day.
Last, but certainly not least, make sure that your visit our Southern Missouri dentists for regular checkups so that possible dental problems can be taken care of before they get out of hand. Access Dental & Dentures has offices throughout Missouri. Simply give us a call at 1-877-DENTIST to find the office closest to you.
We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile!
1-877-DENTIST
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(417) 501-1048 (573) 426-5447 (573) 348-1466
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Springfield, MO 65807 Rolla, MO 65401 Osage Beach, MO. 65065
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(417) 926-1160 (417) 308-3534
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Mountain Grove, MO 65711 Aurora, MO 65605
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