Most people know that diet and regular exercise play a crucial role in keeping them healthy. However, how many people realize just how essential a healthy mouth is for a healthy body? In case you didn’t know, poor oral health can significantly impact your quality of life by affecting both your physical, social, and mental wellbeing. Simply put, poor oral health can influence how you socialize, speak as well as how you eat.
You must have heard the popular phrase; you are what you consume. And certain foods that you consume can potentially result in the formation of plaque, which in turn, causes cavities. And this will ultimately lead to tooth decay.
The presence of sugar in the food that you eat forces the bacteria to release acids inside your mouth. And it is these acids that damage your tooth’s enamel, and ultimately develop cavities. Cavities are a highly common problem that not only leads to chewing issues, but serious pain as well. And if left unattended, they can result in severe gum infections.
Thankfully, proper oral hygiene can help prevent the bacteria from thriving in your mouth. Routinely brushing and flossing your teeth is imperative. Above all, you want to avoid any type of food that can cause damage to them to ensure your teeth remains healthy at all times. Below is a list of some of the foods that are not healthy for your teeth:
- Bread: While this might come as a surprise to many, the truth is that bread is never healthy for your teeth. Bread is full of starch, which with the help of saliva, is broken down into sugars. And when you chew bread, some of the paste-looking particles will stick inside the crevices between your teeth, ultimately proving difficult to eliminate. And with times, it will lead to the formation of cavities which will eventually cause significant damage to your teeth.
- Alcohol: We are all aware of the fact that alcohol is harmful to our health. However, several people don’t know that alcohol also poses a threat to the health of their teeth. To put it simply, alcohol will make your mouth dry by limiting the secretion of saliva. And in case you didn’t know, saliva prevents tooth decay by washing away any food particles that accumulate in your mouth. What’s more, saliva tackles early oral infection stages, tooth decay as well as gum disease. If you drink alcohol occasionally, it is highly recommended that you drink lots of water afterward.
- Ice: Ice is basically water, but frozen water! And while ice doesn’t feature any sugary content, it has been proven that the prospect of chewing a hard block of ice can easily lead to dental emergencies such as chipped teeth, loosened crowns, cracked teeth, among others. If you are an avid ice chewer, it is high time you quit!
- Carbonated beverages: Carbonated drinks contain substantial amounts of sugar, which is bad for the health of your teeth. Carbonated drinks, due to the ridiculous amounts of sugar they have, accelerate the production of acid in your mouth, eventually leading to damage to your enamel. It is also worth noting that dark-colored sodas can potentially stain your teeth, destroying their attractive appearance.
- Sour candies: Sour candy candies are filled with acids that have the potential to cause damage to your teeth and kick-start the cavity creation process. Also, chewy candies will always stick to your teeth, giving the bacteria ample time to thrive.
If you are looking for a dentist, HPS Advanced Dental Care would love to see you. Dr. Heather is gladly accepting new patients.
We are located at 4741 24 Mile Rd. Shelby Township, MI 48316, and we can be reached at (248) 652-0024. We look forward to meeting you!
