How can your diet affect your teeth?

Many think that their diet has nothing to do with the health of their teeth and think that it is only valid for the overall body health. An important fact that everyone should know is that the diet and everything a person consumes plays a harsh role in the health of the teeth. No matter how much you clean your teeth regularly or floss, nevertheless that is not the only concern you need to think of when it comes to your teeth.

Why does food affect your teeth so much?

Not many people know that although candy is the one main source of sugar, it is not the only one. There are many savoury foods and other kinds of food that contain a good amount of sugar that can still harm your teeth if they are not washed after you eat. This means that if you have a steady diet of many foods with so much sugar, it will stick to your teeth and create a problem that can ruin your smile altogether.

What kinds of food are the ones that are truly harmful for your teeth?

All food can be harmful to your teeth if you do not wash them regularly and do not visit the dentist at least every six months. It is also important that you get your teeth cleaned regularly because during that procedure the dentist might reach crooks and crannies that you might not be able to with floss and toothbrush. The main foods that can harm your teeth are:

• Sour Candies or other candy that is primarily made from sugar or even coated with it.
• All kinds of bread as when left in between your teeth it turns into harmful sugar.
• Alcohol.
• Sodas or any other type of sugary carbonated drinks.
• Ice - this may seem weird as ice is basically frozen water, but in this case it is the chewing that can cause harm. Chewing on hard items such as ice can cause chipping emergencies, larger breakages that might hurt or even loosening of crowns.
• Citrus or any other acidic drink. Acid can cause eroding and this can harm your enamel significantly which will then make it easier for teeth to start decaying. If you want to make sure that you still take in all the Vitamins that citrus provides you can make sure that you drink such drinks in moderation and rinse your mouth with water afterwards.
• Potato Chips. Potato chips turn into starch which will then turn into sugar which will easily find its way in between your teeth and will help feed the bacteria in your plaque. Note that plaque will not only harm your teeth but will also make your mouth smell and will produce a horrible taste that can change the way you taste food.
• Dried fruits. These types of fruits although healthy and tasty are sticky and will get stuck in between your teeth very easily.

These foods can cause plaque in your mouth which is a sticky film that surrounds the teeth and is one of the main causes of gum disease and will also aid in the decay of your teeth. If you want to make sure that this does not happen, you need to visit your dentist regularly, wash your teeth after every meal and even rinse them with water if you have had any acidic food. It is also important that you pay attention to your sugar intake to make sure that you never overdo it. 

Get in contact with knowledgeable dentists here.