Top 15 Foods That Damage Your Teeth
Do they still look more yellowish even though you brush your teeth regularly? It is plaque that causes more damage to your teeth than you can imagine.
According to American Dental Association, 60% of tooth loss in the elderly is due to these plaques. The most important cause of plaque formation is the foods that damage teeth.
Although plaques progress slowly and rot the gums and dental pulp, they are not the only damage caused by food. Furthermore, acidic foods cause tooth enamel to erode quickly.
The brushing and flossing you do on a regular basis may not be sufficient for preventing all dental issues. Although they are beneficial for our dental health, regular and frequent consumption of certain foods has negative effects on our teeth.
We should be more cautious when eating foods that damage our teeth. In some cases, consuming these foods with water may be necessary, while in others, a complete change may be necessary.
It is very helpful if you know what causes cavities in teeth so that you can take the correct precautions. Below we uncover foods that cause cavities in adults and the crime partners of cavities.
Top 15 Foods That Cause Teeth Cavities
Here are the lists of what causes tooth decay;
1. Sports Drinks May Contain Sugar
Sugar is often found in sports drinks, which provide support during prolonged and intense exercise. However, these drinks are often used even in simple workouts, even though they are unnecessary.
In the case of a non-intense workout, you might consider drinking water instead of these drinks or choosing ones that are lower in sugar.
2. Avoid Hard Candies
Hard candies accelerate tooth decay and can cause broken or treated teeth pain. Sugary foods should be brushed after consumption. If not, they promote the growth of bacteria in our teeth and cause caries.
3. Don't Break the Ice with Your Teeth
In the summer, breaking the ice with your teeth can be a lot of fun. Keep such habits away for the sake of your teeth. Although our enamel is resistant to such things, they can be scratched and cause sensitivity in the inner dentin area due to coldness.
4. Acidic Foods Can Be the Enemy of Your Teeth
Can fruit cause cavities? As with acidic beverages, foods containing acids such as lemon and orange also cause erosions in the tooth enamel. Therefore, you need to be careful about the consumption of these fruits.
5. Beware of Coffee and Tea
Foods such as coffee and tea can harm teeth. Rather than being harmful, their fame comes from being consumed too much. As in traditional Turkish customs, you can drink your coffee with water.
6. Sticky Foods Stick Your Teeth
It's not just jelly beans and sweet gums that are sticky; especially dried fruits such as dried apricots can stay on the tooth surfaces for a long time. It would be best to consume water and these mostly sugary foods.
7. Potato Chips are not Potatoes
There is no doubt that potatoes are a very healthy food, but they contain a lot of monosodium glutamate, which is known to cause plaque buildup by getting stuck between teeth.
8. Avoid Cola and Acidic Foods
Acid and sugar are two separate enemies of the teeth. What about foods that combine both? The harm is at its peak in these foods. Due to the amount of caffeine in cola, it dries out the mouth and accelerates decay.
9. Limit Alcohol Consumption
The tannin in alcoholic beverages sticks to saliva, causing dehydration and dry mouth. As a result, the teeth remain unprotected against decay and gum disease. In more advanced stages, dry mouth can also lead to oral cancer.
10. Bread
Bread is a sticky food and is among the enemies of molars. The damage caused by starch can be minimized by switching to whole wheat bread rather than white bread.
11. Pickles
Pickles are foods with a low PH value. In this respect, they may seem harmful to the teeth, but they also help prevent tooth decay thanks to the beneficial probiotics they contain. So, don't avoid them, but pay attention to teeth cleaning after consumption.
12. Popcorn
These tiny snacks, of which we have no doubt they are healthy, can get stuck between the gums and trigger the formation of cavities.
13. Cereals
Cereals, like bread, are full of sugar and carbohydrates. They can stick to the teeth and damage the tooth enamel.
14. Chewable Vitamins
Because they are sticky and contain high levels of sugar, chewable vitamins can cause damage to our teeth. You will be better off swallowing vitamins if possible.
15. Vinegar
Vinegar has a low PH value and is acidic food. Consuming this healthy food should be accompanied by a good dental cleaning.
Check your teeth after an evening tea, and you'll find that even a few cups are enough to make them look yellowish. Brushing your teeth will not be enough when you make this habit permanent.
What causes tooth decay in your life? Making a list of them would be a good start for the solution. At the same time, foods that cause gum disease trigger the formation of plaque and are the reason for the mass loss of teeth in advanced ages.