Worst Foods

Food is an essential need for life, but some foods tend to do more harm to your teeth than others. There are a number of foods that are terrible for your teeth. They leave behind sugar, or their consistency eats away at the enamel. We will outline the foods we recommend you stay away from or only eat in moderation. Gentle Dental wants to inform our readers and clients about the types of foods they eat. Just because it tastes good does not mean it is good for every part of your body.

Watch Out for These Foods

Gentle Dental care can help you prevent dental issues

Candy, in general, is bad for your teeth because of the high amounts of sugar, but sour candies are even worse. Chewy sour candies will stick to your gums and leave behind high amounts of sugar. The same goes for dried fruit. Yes, you heard that right. Dried fruit is also sticky and will leave behind similar remanents. It is better to eat fresh fruit because there is less concentration of sugar.

Bread is another common food that is not good for your teeth. As your saliva breaks down the bread, it turns the starches into sugar. This sugar then clings to your teeth and crevices, which will cause cavities. Potato chips do the same thing. Their starches break down into sugar, which then sticks to your teeth. People rarely have just one potato chip, so it is common for acid production to linger.

Soda and alcohol are two beverages to keep away from your teeth. Everyone knows too much drink is never a good thing. The high amounts of acid will remove important saliva from the mouth, and it can stain your teeth. Even if it says “diet,” it is still not good for you. Alcohol has similar properties. It will dry your mouth out, which removes saliva needed to protect your mouth from bacteria. It also helps wash away food to keep it from sticking to your teeth. Prevent dry mouth by drinking water afterward.

Ice can hardly be considered as food, but it is common for people to chew ice. Ice is hard, which will damage the enamel on the teeth. It is best not to chew on it. Finally, citrus anything is terrible for your teeth. The high amount of acid will erode enamel. The less enamel, the more prone you are to infection.

We hope you found this information useful. We know food tastes so good, but it is important to steer clear of these foods to keep your teeth looking great. Find out more information on our website or give us a call at (281) 855-1100 to schedule a cleaning.