Your diet plays a crucial part in your overall health, but especially when it comes to your teeth and gums. Even some of the foods that would be considered healthy for your waistline, are not so great for your oral hygiene.
According to the Huffington Post and your dentist, those sticky sweets that you enjoy from time to time could are feeding off the bacteria in your mouth if you didn’t brush and rinse after eating. The sticky ingredients coupled with high amounts of sugar love to house themselves in the crevices in your back teeth. Those areas are hard to brush in the first place, but add some Gummy Bears and a pack of Starbursts to the list and you are asking for trouble.
Although dried fruit is good for your body it has the same affect on your teeth and gums that sticky sweets do. Dried apricots, figs, mangos, papaya or any other fruit that has been dried will stick to your teeth. Although they are naturally sweet, dried fruits are still loaded with sugar. If you must indulge, rinse your mouth as soon as you can after your last delicious date.
If you reach for a soda every time you get thirsty, you aren’t doing your mouth any favors. Sports and energy drinks are just as bad. All are loaded with sugar and the acidic drinks love to cohabitate with the bacteria in your mouth. Drink water or make yourself a big pitcher of tea. Try green tea or another flavored tea as black teas will stain your teeth.
You may love that glass of red wine after a day at the office, but your teeth do not. Red wine, tea and coffee may be something you include in your daily diet, but they stain your teeth. Tooth whitening can help. See your dentist for in office whitening, or try one of the outer the counter products at your local pharmacy.
If you still taste that big soft pretzel that you treated yourself to for lunch, your teeth are too. The crevices in your teeth love starchy foods like French fries, potato chips and soft white bread. Once the starch dissolves after you chew, it turns into sugar mixing with the bacteria in your mouth eventually forming plaque and tartar. Eat some crunchy vegetables like celery, nature’s dental floss, and don’t forget to rinse.
Hard foods will damage your teeth. Hard candies would have to be at the top of the list as not only can they chip a tooth, but the constant sucking means that your teeth are being bathed in a layer of sugar. Biting down on your Aunt Betty’s famous peanut brittle can break or chip a tooth. If you made it past the biting stage, you still have to deal with the heavy caramel in the brittle that will stay on your teeth long after you have enjoyed. Put the ice in your drink and not between your teeth, and keep the top of your pen out of your mouth. Chewing on anything hard will cause damage to your teeth and your gums.
Your oral hygiene needs to include a healthy diet along with brushing and flossing. Talk to your dentist if you would like more information about diet and oral health.
