You know that brushing your teeth every day can help your oral health, but did you know your diet can make a huge impact as well? Dr. Marvin N. Kaplan, a Cincinnati, OH dentist, discusses the foods you should avoid if you don’t want to make more trips to his office for cavities!
1. Chewy Candy (Especially Sour)
One of the biggest culprits for tooth decay is chewy candy. It’s filled with sugar. Because of its texture, it also gets stuck easily between your teeth and in the crevices in your molars. This gives bacteria more time to feed on it and produce acid that causes tooth decay.
If it’s sour candy as well, it’s doubly bad. The sour taste that you like is usually made from citric acid. That means that the candy will add even more acid to your mouth. The combo of sugar and acid wears down your enamel and causes tooth decay and cavities.
2. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is a better sweet snack than candy, right? Only sort of. Dried fruit is also extremely bad for your teeth. While fresh fruit can be great for oral health, dried fruit is often chewy in texture. This is another thing to get stuck in your teeth. Dried fruit is also more concentrated in sugar than fresh fruit. It’s not something you want to frequently eat.
3. Ice
Since ice is just made of water, it’s assumed to be completely safe for your teeth. In many cases, it is. However, even ice can mess with your teeth. The more you chew on ice, the more worn down your teeth will get. If you bite down while the cube is still too hard, you risk breaking or chipping a tooth. This leads to an emergency dental visit to get your teeth fixed up.
4. Citrus
While fresh fruit is a healthy snack, you want to make sure you watch out for citrus fruit. Like sour candy, citrus fruit is extremely acidic. If you’re frequently eating it, it can easily be working away on the enamel on the outside of your teeth. Even lemon in your water can contribute to wearing the enamel away.
If you’re going to have citrus food, make sure you have water on hand. Drinking water after eating citrus fruit can help wash away some of the acids that linger around when you’re done.
5. Sports Drinks
Energy drinks and soda are seen as the main drinks that can erode the enamel on your teeth. However, sports drinks are just as bad, if not worse. Under the guise of replenishing your body with essential nutrients, sports drinks are absolutely filled with sugar. Flavors like lemon-lime are also acidic, making it a double whammy against your teeth. When you’re working out, it’s better just to stick to water.
Getting Advice From Your Cincinnati, Ohio Dentist
Make sure that your diet is keeping your oral health in mind too. Call us today for more tips from Dr. Kaplan or schedule an appointment online!