Your dentures are continuously exposed to the harmful effects of the foods and beverages that you consume, but fortunately, many of these harmful effects can be prevented – here are some of the worst things for your teeth and a few tips about how to avoid them.
Foods and Beverages that Are Bad for Tooth Enamel
There are many foods and drinks that have numerous benefits for overall health, but the acids they contain make them harmful for your teeth:
- Orange juice – the tasty refreshment contains lots of vitamins, but the acids found in oranges stain and weaken the enamel of the tooth, so it is best consumed in moderation or with a straw to minimize contact between the liquid and the surface of your teeth;
- Coffee and tea – though both are acceptable from the point of view of overall health, especially if consumed without sugar, tea and coffee tend to stain the teeth and they also impair saliva production, drying the mouth;
- Pickles – usually prepared using some kind of acid, such as vinegar, for conservation, pickles are also known to break down the enamel of the tooth;
- Dried fruits – though generally considered healthy, dried fruits contain high amounts of sugar, which makes them harmful for your teeth;
- Very colorful fruits and foods – dark-colored berries, such as cranberries, blueberries, soy sauce or tomato sauce contain pigments that discolor the enamel of the teeth as well as acids that can cause significant damage to the teeth.
There are also many foods that are generally considered to be unhealthy and they are also harmful for your teeth:
- White bread – most varieties of white bread are soft and fluffy and tend stick into the small gaps between the teeth where they start decomposing and attracting bacteria. While it decomposes, the carbohydrates that make up white bread become sugar that is very harmful for your teeth;
- Carbonated beverages that are high in sugar, artificial flavors and colorants – these drinks stain the teeth and decrease their strength;
- Alcohol – many alcoholic beverages contain colorants that stain the teeth and they all cause the mouth to dry as well, leading to oral problems, such as oral infections, gum disease and tooth decay.
The best way to avoid the harmful effects of the above foods and beverages is to stay away of them or, if you cannot steer completely clear of them, to clean your teeth immediately after consuming them.
Smoking
Cigarette smoke is harmful for your health in general and it is especially bad for the teeth that become weak and discolored over time.
Chewing on very Hard Things and Other Forms of Impact
Chewing on ice, on very hard candy or on other, very hard foods is very harmful for your teeth – the contact with substances that are harder than the tooth itself and the pressure that your teeth are exposed to while chewing on these hard substances cause the teeth to crack and to chip.
Repeated blows to the face or to the jaw can also cause the teeth to break, chip or crack, so playing sports, such as soccer football, baseball or boxing without suitable mouth protection, such a mouth guards or helmets is also among the worst things for your teeth.
Make an appointment today with Highlands Ranch dentists to schedule a dental evaluation, teeth cleaning or whitening procedure, or have a mouth guard fitted for your protection.