Do You Know Which Foods Are Bad For Your Teeth?

When it comes to taking care of your teeth, most people are well aware of the fact that certain foods are worse for overall oral health than others. As a child, almost everyone is told that sugar is bad for their teeth and that if they eat a lot of sweets they are setting themselves up for disaster in the future. While we here at Bitterroot Dental wholeheartedly agree that sugar is not the best thing for your teeth, we also feel like too much emphasis is placed on sugar and sugar alone. While sugar doesn’t do your teeth any favors, there are many foods and beverages that are just as bad for your teeth as sugar, if not worse. In today’s post, we are going to remedy this lack of education and go over some of the worst food and beverages for your teeth and what you should do to avoid these substances from causing damage to your teeth. Continue reading below to learn more.

Your Teeth are Tough but They Need Your Help

When you really start to think about it, our teeth put up with a lot. They are used every single day and are exposed to a wide range of food and beverages that, for lack of a better explanation, do their best to damage our teeth as much as possible. Luckily, we have developed ways to clean our teeth and remove much of the acid and bacteria that tends to build up on them, eliminating a lot of the risk associated with eating “bad” foods. However, it is important to be aware of which foods are likely to cause damage to our teeth so that we can avoid them as much as we can. Below, we have listed a few foods that you should be wary of in your day to day life.

• Ice: Okay, so while ice is not technically a food, it is still a substance that most people deal with every single day. For the most part, people assume that it is okay to chomp down on ice because, after all, it’s just water. While it is true that water is not bad for your teeth, water in the form of ice can cause quite a bit of damage over a long time period. Chewing any sort of hard substance, ice included, is a sure fire way to damage your teeth and negatively affect your teeth’s enamel. If you are a habitual ice chewer, we highly recommend that you do your best to break the habit and only enjoy your water in a liquid form.

• Citrus: While it is true that humans need to ingest a certain amount of citrus in order to meet their vitamin C requirements, too much citrus can have a negative effect on the teeth. Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and limes are highly acidic and can work overtime to strip the enamel from your teeth. Not only does this make your teeth seem duller, it also increases the chances of developing cavities and issues with the root of the tooth. If you can’t see giving up citrus fruit anytime soon, be sure to drink plenty of water after you are done eating. This will help to wash away the acid and reduce the amount of food that the bacteria in your mouth has to feed off of.

Join us again next time as we continue to go over some of the worst foods and beverages for your teeth. If you’re worried that your diet has already affected the health of your teeth, contact us today at Bitterroot Dental in Missoula and schedule an appointment. We have been helping Missoula area residents maintain good oral hygiene for years and we are certain that we can help you as well.