9 Food & Drinks To Stay Away From
Building a healthy oral hygiene profile can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t decided what’s BAD for your teeth.
Here are 9 food and drink options to stay away from to keep a healthier smile.
- Ice
Leave the ice in your drink, don’t chew it. Ice can damage your enamel and lead to a possible dental emergency. Stick to its liquid form.
- Citrus foods/drinks
Citrusy foods like limes and lemons can irritate sores in the mouth upon intake. They can also help erode enamel over time. You don’t have to drop the lemon water just let, simply limit your intake.
- Sticky Foods
Sticky foods like dried fruits might seem like a healthy option, but they tend to stay in your mouth longer because they are harder to get out of your teeth, helping them decay your teeth enamel. Make sure to brush and floss carefully after consuming.
- Soda/Carbonated Drinks
Go ahead and make the switch to water. Soda, with its carbonation and sugar will accelerate the decay of your teeth enamel. Water is a much more healthy option for your teeth… and your body will thank you, too!
- Alcohol
You might swear by your glass of red wine in the evenings, but it’s better to limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol can dry the mouth, leading to tooth decay and possible oral infections. (Cough Cough, drink more water)
- Sugary Sports Drinks
Though they are marketed as healthy options, a lot of sports drinks can have excess sugar in them, leading to tooth decay. When in doubt, swap your sports drink with water.
- White Bread
White bread not only offers empty carbohydrates and empty calories, but it can be bad for your teeth, too! Once consumed, the bread’s enzymes are converted into sugar, which is known to damage teeth. Switching to whole grain bread will do the trick.
- Pickles
TOO much acid isn’t good for your teeth, and that’s just what pickles have. Pickles are known to wear your teeth down fast, a lot faster than a lot of foods. It’s recommended to rinse your mouth after consuming pickles to lower the acidity in your mouth.
- Sour Candies
Sour candies add to your mouth’s acidity, and a lot are very sticky! Remember what we said about sticky foods and acidity… they don’t mix well!
