If you’re reading this, you probably know that sugar can be damaging to your teeth. Whether you understand how the interactions between sugar, acid, and bacteria can lead to cavities and tooth decay or if you simply avoid a high sugar intake without thinking much more about it, limiting the amount of sugar you consume can preserve the health of your pearly whites.
However, sugar isn’t the only thing that can cause problems with your oral health. Dr. Dailey and our team have rounded up the following list of foods that can cause surprising damage to your teeth. We hope this information will help you and your loved ones make informed choices about your oral health!
1. Bread
While you may be surprised to find bread on this list, it can actually be just as damaging as sugar. Here’s why: starches break down into sugar. As you chew on a slice of bread, the saliva in your mouth breaks down the starches into sugar. Then, the oral bacteria in your mouth feed on this sugar in the same way they’d feed on sugar from candy or soda. Even worse, sugars from starches can stick to teeth and get into hard-to-reach areas.
2. Citrus
While citrus is chock full of vitamins and is often a part of a healthy diet, high citrus intake may have an unintended consequence for your teeth. Citrus is high in acid that can damage enamel and lead to cavities. If you consume high amounts of citrus, you risk eroding your enamel.
3. Potato Chips
It’s hard to beat the satisfying crunch of potato chips, but these snacks pose many of the same risks as bread: the starches in potato chips break down into sugar and can increase your risk for developing cavities.
4. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit may seem like a healthy snack, but it can end up harming your teeth. Not only is dried fruit high in sugar, but it also is incredibly sticky. This sticky-sweet combination can spell trouble for teeth as it can stick to teeth in places that are hard to clean.
5. Ice
Unlike the foods listed above, ice doesn’t necessarily increase your risk for developing cavities. However, chewing on ice can lead to cracked, chipped, or broken teeth. Even if nothing serious happens, a regular habit of chewing ice can damage tooth enamel and make you more susceptible to developing cavities. Stick to using ice to cool your drinks instead of chomping on it like a snack.
Questions About Tooth-Friendly Foods?
To ask our team any questions about the foods above or other foods that are tooth-friendly, or to schedule your next visit to our office, call us today! We care about your oral health.
