Many people don’t realize that some of the foods they eat can harm their dental health. There are many reasons why people try and change their eating habits, but usually, dental health isn’t among those reasons.
Certain eating habits can lead to serious dental problems. In turn, these oral health problems can lead to invasive surgeries. That’s why it’s best to either cut down on or eliminate these foods for good from your diet. Here are some foods and habits to avoid if you are concerned about your dental health:
Coffee
Black coffee is said to have numerous health benefits. Unfortunately, people tend to drink coffee with other additives like milk and sugar. Everyone knows that sugar can cause tooth decay. Another reason you may want to cut down on the amount of coffee you drink is that it can stain your teeth.
If you won’t give up coffee completely, try to minimize the amount of sugar you put into it and brush your teeth after you’ve had a cup. If you start getting dry-mouth due to excessive coffee drinking, hydrate by drinking a lot of water.
If you are worried about tooth decay or have already started seeing signs, consult a dentist like Vellore Woods in Woodbridge. They can treat and manage the tooth decay before it gets out of hand.
Ice
A lot of people love to chew ice but fail to realize that it can seriously damage teeth. People do this because it tends to distract them from hunger. Or, some people do it to ease boredom. Whatever the case may be, it’s a habit that you must let go.
It’s not the contents of water that make it so bad for your teeth. It’s the damage that it causes your enamel. Sometimes, people even break teeth because of how much they chew ice.
To break this habit and not your teeth, try chewing on vegetables or fruits. Apples and carrots have that crunch factor but are still easier to chew than ice.
Soda
Soda often has insane amounts of sugar, which leads to tooth decay. Another problem with soda is that it contains phosphoric acid and citric acid. These acids damage your tooth enamel. Without a strong layer of enamel, your teeth are at risk of other threatening dental issues.
In severe cases, soda can also damage the dentin layer of your teeth. This can lead to deep cavities, which turn into missing teeth.
Potato Chips
Generally, you should be careful when eating very crunchy foods. Potato chips are the most common crunchy food that causes dental issues. You can bypass these issues if you floss regularly but not many people do.
When you chew on potato chips, tiny bits of food get stuck between your teeth. Your toothbrush won’t be able to remove all of these tiny bits of food. Eventually, the stuck particles will cause you to develop plaque.
Try and implement flossing into your dental hygiene routine. You should be doing it every day anyway.
Citrus
Too much citrus will erode your enamel. This is because of the high amounts of acid in citrus. Without strong enamel, your teeth can decay much easier. Also, citrus tends to irritate any mouth sores you may have.
There are benefits to citrus foods, so rather than eliminate them from your diet, simply eat citrus in moderation. After you eat citrus, rinse your mouth with water to get rid of traces of acid.
Alcohol
Alcohol dries out the mouth. A dry mouth means less than adequate saliva production. Saliva is important because it washes away tiny bits of food that may stick to your teeth. Saliva is also a line of defense against oral problems like tooth decay and gum disease. Use fluoride rinses and drink lots of water if you drink alcohol.
