The Food and Drink we Consume has Significant Effects on our Teeth and Gums.
Many of our actions might have an impact on our teeth and gums. Keeping them healthy is vital, which is why we highlight the importance of proper preventative care. Brushing, flossing, and expert dental procedures are all required for optimal oral health, but there is another component that we often overlook: what we eat and drink.
Sugary foods are not the only thing that is proven to be harmful to our teeth. We’ve created a list of some of the most harmful products you may consume below. We do not expect our Paisley dentistry patients to completely avoid these, but being aware will help you greatly reduce how often you consume them.
Here is a list of some of the things you should avoid or at least limit your intake of.
Eating Sweets
This one most likely goes without saying. Most sweets include a lot of sugar, which is bad for our teeth. The amount of sugar isn’t the only issue. If you really have the need to eat anything sweet and sugary, make sure it is something you can chew and swallow fast. This at least ensures that your saliva can begin to wash away the sugar quickly. Suckable sweets will stay in your mouth for a much longer period of time, providing food for bacteria in your mouth and raising the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Drinking Soda and Sports Beverages
Although these drinks often have considerable amounts of sugar, Southside Dental Care patients should also be concerned about the high acidic content. When people drink these drinks, they often rub their teeth together, which can wear away the enamel on their teeth quickly. When this occurs, tooth sensitivity is likely, as is eventual tooth decay. Although dental veneers can be used to treat teeth with this type of enamel damage, prevention is significantly superior, and eliminating or limiting certain drinks will assist.
Eating Dried fruits
Dried fruits, such as dates or raisins, are often seen as a healthier alternative to consuming sweets. This is correct, yet they are still heavy in sugar. Whether the sugar is natural or not, it can still cause tooth decay. Dried fruits can also get stuck to the teeth and are tough to dislodge. This is one reason why parents are hesitant to give them to young children. If you eat dried fruits, floss between your teeth thoroughly before going to bed.
Drinking Fruit Juices
Fruit juices are another product that most of our Paisley patients believe to be healthy, and they are indeed high in vitamins. However, like sodas, they are quite acidic, as is any citrus fruit consumed. If you must drink these, like with sodas and other beverages, use a straw to minimise the amount of liquid contact with your teeth to minimise the possibility of them causing tooth enamel to erode. Remember, however, that water remains your best friend when it comes to dental health and hydration.
Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol usually has sugar, but the true risk is that it can dry out the mouth, and having a dry mouth, especially overnight, is one of the leading causes of gum disease. Do not forget to brush and floss and drink a lot of water before bed. Also, accidents are more likely to happen if you’ve had too much to drink, and it’s not rare for falls or collisions to damage teeth.
Drinking Coffee or Tea
Aside from the sugar content, these drinks can often be responsible for tooth discoloration. Of course, lots of products do this, and it is important to look at a list of them. Tea and coffee are commonly consumed, however limiting your intake may assist to keep your teeth whiter for longer. If you have already experienced this side effect, our Paisley cosmetic dentist team can help you regain the whiteness with a teeth whitening treatment or porcelain veneers. It is also important to keep in mind that some store-bought coffees, particularly ‘specials’, may contain extremely high levels of sugar.
Carbonated Water
Although most of these will not include sugar, they can still harm your teeth. Many of these drinks contain carbonic acid to provide the ‘fizz’ effect. As mentioned before, high levels of acid can damage the enamel of your teeth leading to erosion. Sticking with calm water is significantly better for your teeth.
Advantage of Chewing Gum to Oral Health
Finally, we will discuss chewing gum. While these often include sugar and are harmful to your teeth, using sugar-free chewing gum may have a positive effect since it can assist in eliminating food debris and bacteria from less accessible places of your teeth and gums. This isn’t the same as flossing, but it can help keep gum disease from happening, which can lead to bad breath and even tooth loss.
