For your Dental Health – Foods you should Avoid!

For your Dental Health – Foods you should Avoid!
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Even though our team here at River Rock Dental enjoys seeing you on your visits we want to help you prevent coming in an unnecessary amount of times and promote dental health. This can be done easily by maintaining good oral and dental health. Aside from preventing cavities and stains by brushing after every meal and flossing daily, you can also prevent tooth decay by avoiding certain foods.

Here is a list of foods you should try to avoid or eat only in moderation:

Hard Candies

Hard candies may seem harmless, but they’re actually one of the prime culprits causing dental decay. Prolonged sucking on the candy coats the teeth with sugar which is probably the worst thing you can do to your teeth. Hard candies can also damage your teeth because they can cause dental emergencies such as a broken or chipped tooth when biting on hard candy. So if you find yourself having a sweet tooth avoid hard candies and go with a soft one instead. And always remember to drink a glass of water after you eat candy to help flush the excess sugar off your teeth and promote dental health. This is particularly important if you’re not able to brush your teeth immediately afterwards – and the same principle applies to anything you eat or drink… but especially sugar!

Citrus Fruits

Frequent exposure to acidic foods can erode enamel on your teeth. This erosion makes teeth more susceptible to decay and discoloration over time. So though drinking lemon water has health benefits, it’s not always the best choice for your oral health. The acid in the fruits can also irritate your gums and lead to painful mouth sores such as cankers. It’s best to limit citric fruits and juices… but if you do indulge, just be sure to rinse out your mouth or have a glass of water too.

Coffee or Tea with Sugar

Next time you decide to pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee try having it in its natural form. By adding sugar it becomes more unhealthy and leads to cavities. Frequent drinks of coffee and tea may also stain your teeth. In addition, caffeinated coffee and tea can cause dry mouth and lead to dehydration. So consider having a cup of fresh water after your morning coffee.

Sticky Foods

Dried fruits and other gummies are tasty, but their sticky residue can lead to cavities and poor oral health. Sticky foods damage your teeth and are difficult to brush off in comparison to non-sticky foods. If you often have a handful of dried fruit or sticky candies make sure you rinse your mouth with water and floss thoroughly.

Crackers or Saltines

Crackers and Saltines have refined carbohydrates that convert to sugar in your mouth while you’re chewing them. Unfortunately that means they lead to cavity-forming bacteria. In addition, crackers become mushy and create build up on your molars and between your teeth. If you frequently snack on crackers you may need to consider switching them out for a softer carb.

The real secret is making sure you brush and floss regularly. Good oral health, and eating these types of food in moderation, will prevent most long-term dental problems. Happy brushing!

Like this blog post? Read more about dental health here:

7 Everyday Habits that damage your Teeth

5 Dental Resolutions for healthier Teeth

Call our to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.