Food helps to keep both your body and teeth healthy. Though many foods strengthen and rebuild tooth enamel, some have the opposite effect. Here are ten foods and drinks you should avoid if you want to keep your teeth healthy.
- Sticky Foods: Sticky foods like candies and dried fruits can linger on teeth, which gives plaque bacteria plenty of sugar to create acids from for a longer period of time.
- Potato Chips: Chips and other foods that crunch are high in starches which tend to get trapped in your teeth.
- Soda: This is high in both sugar and acid. Additionally, colored sodas can stain your teeth if you drink them frequently.
- Hard Candies: These contain a lot of sugar, increasing the risk for tooth decay. Since they are hard, they may also chip or break a tooth.
- Coffee: This drink can stain teeth, has added sugars, and contains caffeine that dries out the mouth (increasing your risk for tooth decay).
- Sour Candy: Like sodas, this is high in both sugar and acids that can harm your smile.
- Sports Drinks: The main ingredient of most sports drinks is sugar.
- Citrus Fruits/Drinks: These are high in acids which erode tooth enamel and irritate mouth sores.
- Ice: Chewing on ice can cause your teeth to chip or crack.
- Alcohol: Drinking this substance dries out the mouth, can reduce saliva flow over time, and increases your risk for oral cancer.
