Top 8 Foods and Drinks That Can Affect Your Oral Health

Many people think that the foods and drinks they consume daily don’t impact the condition of their teeth and gums. But the reality is actually the opposite. Maintaining a healthy diet can help supply your body with vitamins, minerals, and other important elements. 

If you want to have healthy teeth and gums, you need to pay sufficient attention to your oral hygiene, visit the best dentist twice a year, and maintain a healthy diet. This means that it is better to avoid these eight foods and drinks that can affect your oral health.

1. Candy

Candies, whether hard or soft, are packed with sugar. You should know that sugar feeds on the bacteria and lets them multiply actively. The increased number of bacteria promotes the development of various oral issues like bad breath, enamel wear, tooth decay, and others.

2. Sweet soda

Drinking sweet soda on a regular basis can significantly damage your teeth. This is because sweet soda contains a lot of sugar and acids. As mentioned above, sugar intake contributes to some oral issues, while acids can eat away your tooth enamel. This can result in increased tooth sensitivity and chipped tooth enamel.

3. Citrus fruits

Indeed, citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C that helps maintain your overall health and decreases the risk of gum disease. But you should be careful and limit the consumption of citrus fruits and juices since they are quite acidic. You should also avoid tooth brushing after eating citrus fruits because you can remove the softened tooth enamel.

4. Potato chips

In addition to the fact that potato chips are bad for your hips and digestive system, they can also worsen your oral health. This is because potato chips contain starch that turns into sugar. Moreover, pieces of chips can get stuck between your teeth and feed the bacteria in your mouth.

5. Wine and other alcoholic drinks

Indeed, red wine has certain health benefits, but it can also worsen the condition of your oral cavity. This is because wine is quite acidic and these acids can remove your tooth enamel. Additionally, red wine contains pigments that can stain your tooth enamel. Alcohol drinks, in general, tend to dry out your mouth which results in bacteria overgrowth.

6. Dried fruits

Even though dried fruits are deemed a healthy substitute for candies, they can be quite harmful to your oral health. This is because dried fruits are sticky and they can remain in your mouth for a long time. Additionally, some dried fruits contain added sugar that makes them even more harmful. 

7. Sports and energy drinks

Many people believe that sports drinks are healthy, but the truth is that many of them contain added sugar. That’s why you should choose their sugarless versions. As for energy drinks, they contain both sugar and acids. So it is better to avoid them completely.

8. Coffee

People who drink a lot of coffee daily can face a lot of problems sooner or later. Firstly, coffee is an acidic drink and its regular consumption can lead to enamel wear. Secondly, coffee contains pigments that can attach to your teeth and make them look dark. That’s why it is recommended to limit coffee consumption or at least have it with milk to reduce its acidity and supply your body with calcium.

The bottom line

It is essential to understand that it is much easier to prevent the development of various oral issues rather than treat them. You can try to avoid the aforementioned foods and drinks or at least limit their consumption to improve the condition of your teeth and gums.