While there are some foods that are beneficial for your teeth, like milk or apples, there are other foods that can actually cause a lot of harm to your teeth if youâ€™re not careful. Not only could certain foods cause your smile not to be as bright and white as it could be, but they can also harm any dental work youâ€™ve had done and cause the integrity of your teeth and overall oral health to be compromised. So to help ensure that this doesnâ€™t happen to you, here are four of the top foods that you need to be careful with and protect your teeth against.
Sour, Gummy Candies
In general, there are a few categories of foods that most people know they should steer clear of if theyâ€™re wanting to have a healthy body, including their teeth. One of the most villainized is candy or other sugary sweets. However, one of the worst candies you can eat when youâ€™re trying to protect your teeth are sour, gummy candies. According to Peggy Pletcher, a contributor to Healthline.com, the acidity of sour candies erodes the enamel of your teeth more than other candies, and the gummy texture is hard to get off your teeth when cleaning. So if you are going to eat these types of candies, make sure you take care of cleaning your teeth afterward.
Citrus And Citrus Fruit Juices
Just like with sour candies, citrus fruits and fruit juices can be harmful to your teeth because they also erode the enamel. According to Amanda Gardner, the biggest culprits are lemons and grapefruit with their very strong acidity, so be extra careful when eating those fruits or drinking their juices.
While water is great for your body in general, ice, on the other hand, is not good for your teeth. Especially if you chew on ice, it can be very damaging. According to the American Dental Association and MouthHealthy.org, chewing on hard items such as ice can make your vulnerable to all types of dental emergencies in addition to being harmful to the enamel of your teeth. So if this is a habit that you have, try your best to break it before it breaks you.
Along with juices, there are quite a few other beverages that can be particularly hard on your teeth. According to Sophia Breene, a contributor to Greatist.com, colored beverages like coffee, red wine, and soda can be very harmful to your teeth. These drinks can cause a lot of tooth decay and discoloration thatâ€™s hard to undo. So if you do drink these beverages, try to use a straw whenever possible so you can bypass your teeth.
If youâ€™re wanting to do better about protecting your teeth, consider being careful around the above mentioned foods and drinks.