Once your adult teeth have come in, you don’t get any more chances with your pearly whites. That is why you need to do everything you can to make sure that they stay in tip-top condition for the longest possible time. So, this is why it is so important to closely monitor the food that you put in your mouth.
Of course, scheduling regular dentist appointments at a professional practice like http://drpeterhoffmann.com/ is important, but they can’t be solely responsible for your oral health. So, here are just a few of the most damaging food items to your teeth.
Ice
Okay, it’s not really a food per se, but if you are the kind of person who chews the ice in your drink, this is a habit you should get out of as soon as you can. Biting down on hard substances like this can cause damage to your enamel and even a dental emergency. If you can’t avoid the temptation, it may be time to start ordering drinks without ice.
Citric Acids
Starting off the day with a big glass of orange juice may be very refreshing, but the high levels of citric acid can end up wearing down the enamel of your teeth. So, just like you should be limiting your intake of fizzy beverages, you should be doing the same for juice and food items which contain a lot of citric acid.
Sticky Food
Sticky foods are problematic because they can continue causing damage after you have already finished eating them. Of course, candy is an obvious culprit, but dried fruit also tends to cause problems. If you do enjoy snacking on these things, you should rinse out your mouth with water afterwards and you could also floss away any persistent bits of food.
Crunch Food
Crunchy food like potato chips may be satisfying to eat, but they are also filled with starch which tends to get trapped in your teeth. Like the advice listed in the previous point, you should take the time to floss away any lingering food particles. Otherwise, it is easily the case that plaque will start to build up.
High-Sugar Drinks
Sugar really does tend to be the enemy when it comes to your oral health. Carbonated fizzy drinks, in particular, are to be avoided as much as possible. Problems tend to be caused by the plaque bacteria that use sugar to produce acid which in turn attacks your enamel. If you do choose to drink them, consuming the drinks through a straw can help to minimise the damage.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol causes you to become dehydrated and you develop a dry mouth. If you consume too much, your saliva flow may be reduced over time, possibly resulting in tooth decay and oral infections. Heavy alcohol consumption can also result in an increased risk of mouth cancer.
So, now that you are more aware of some damaging food and drink, you can take steps to reduce your consumption of these things as much as possible in 2018 and beyond.