5 of the Worst Food and Drinks for Oral Health

Some of the worst food and drinks for oral health and hygiene you probably consume on a daily basis. You will be aware of the worst culprits, but there are also some surprising ones.

Soft Processed Foods

You might think that eating soft foods is better for your teeth. But some dentists disagree. Of course, there are multiple things that affect your teeth. But there is some evidence that processed soft foods are bad for your jaw development because they don’t encourage jaw bone growth. Additionally, you might need remedies like clear ceramic braces because you don’t get the required vitamins and minerals your mouth needs. This is known as malocclusion.

Sour Flavored Candy

You might not be surprised to hear that candy is bad for your teeth. But the worst candy is sour candy. Most of the time, it has acids that are hard on your teeth. Plus, they stay on your teeth longer because they are chewy. This means that they like to stick around, which makes it more likely that they will cause decay. Most people like sweets, so pick something like a gummy bear. You can easily chew these and then rinse your gums to get rid of any extra bits on your teeth.

Fizzy Drinks are Among the Worst Food and Drinks

Almost all foods and drinks are bad for your teeth, but fizzy drinks, especially the ones that aren’t diet, are the worst. In fact, it’s not the carbon that does the damage. It’s the additives, like high fructose, that do. Because enamel wears away, pop drinks can also leave stains on teeth. The bacteria and sugar then work together to make acid. Also, diet fizzy drinks have phosphoric and citric acid in them, which can be just as bad for your body as ten cubes of sugar.

Drinks that Dry Your Mouth

Saliva is important, and it’s the best thing you can do to keep tooth decay from happening. It has a number of molecular parts that stop microbes from growing. It also stops plaque from building up on your teeth and helps fix the early symptoms of gum disease and tooth decay. But some of the beverages you drink each day are terrible for you. Coffee and tea, which are almost always drying, are two of these. And a dry mouth makes it more likely that you will get gum disease.

Ice, Surprisingly

You might be surprised to find out that munching ice is bad for you. Even though it has water in it, it can damage tooth enamel and chip teeth and cause crowns to come loose. These will cause problems like sensitive teeth, which will hurt more when you put something cold in your mouth. So, if you want a drink that’s as cold as ice, get something from the fridge and add crushed ice to it. Or, use a straw if you think you might be tempted to chew on the ice.

There’s a good chance you need to change your diet to avoid the worst food and drinks for your teeth. These include softer processed foods, fizzy drinks, of course, and even ice cubes.