Maintaining your oral health is a life-long commitment as you grow older, it becomes even more important to keep an eye on what you’re eating. You don’t have to look at the ingredients section of everything that you have in your diet. However, it never hurts to cut back on certain foods that can cause more harm to your teeth, for example- cause cavity. So, that’s why we wanted to write a blog that discusses this topic. Which food encourages tooth decay and maybe it’s about time that you should control that sweet tooth of yours and make some healthy choices.
What causes cavity or tooth decay?
Well, from a scientific point of view, it’s bacteria and a combination of other oral factors that cause cavities in your tooth. These are permanently damaged areas on the hard surface of your teeth that develop into small holes or openings. Major factors that aid in the development of cavities include frequent snacking, drinking sugary drinks, harmful bacteria and most importantly, not cleaning your teeth well.
Food That Can Damage Your Teeth
If you’re still here reading this post, then consider having a look at the list:
- Starchy snacky food: Food with cooked starches-particularly potato starches for example chips and crackers stick to your teeth more than other sugary foods like chocolate and candy. When this type of snack gets stuck to your teeth, it gives bacteria a longer period to produce acid and dissolve teeth.
- Acidic food and beverages: Acidic food and beverages contribute largely towards tooth sensitivity, which in turn results in the breakdown of tooth enamel. If the enamel on your tooth starts dissolving, the nerve in your tooth slowly becomes exposed and eventually results in pain and discomfort. If your diet includes acidic food such as lemons, grapefruit juice, pickles and sports drinks, you might want to consider cutting down on them.
- Sugary cereal and baked sweets: You might want to start your day with something sweet and while shopping for cereals, would pick up a pack of something sugary. Well, you should know that that bowl of sugary cereals can contribute to dental erosion and gum disease. The same goes for baked sweets such as doughnuts, as they have extra added sugar and refined carbs, which are not good for teeth.
- Chewy food: Dried fruits. Taffy, caramel- what do they all have in common? Other than being delicious, they are very chewy and have a high concentration of sugar. This means the sugar would be in contact with your tooth for a longer amount of time giving the acid and cavity producing bacteria to proliferate more.
- Alcohol: This section of food would always make this list because of its acidic nature. Not only that, but alcohol has oral-cancer promoting agents in it as well. Yes, we all like our glass of wine every now and then, but it’s better not to overdo it.
Bottom Line
We have made this list so you can be more conscious of maintaining your oral health. Other than avoiding food that causes damage to your teeth, visiting your dentist regularly can help you maintain your comprehensive oral hygiene routine.