Avoid these 10 foods if you want healthy teeth

March 6, 2014

We often don’t think twice before eating something but what we put in our mouth can have serious repercussions. The cavities may develop into infections that cause a lot of pain, you might have really bad breath and yellow teeth might take the sheen away from your appearance. Here are some foods that you should completely avoid in order to maintain good oral hygiene

Sugar

Bacteria that rot your teeth love the taste of sugar. These bacteria produce acid and if this process keeps on happening for a long time, then you’ll get cavities that can cause unbearable pain.

Soft drinks

Soft drinks contain phosphoric acid or citric acid that can erode your teeth. One way to reduce this damage would be to always drink with a straw so that the liquid doesn’t come into contact with your teeth.

Alcohol

Alcohol might make you happy for now, but there is enough evidence to support the fact that they are bad for your oral health. They contain certain acids which corrode your teeth, and they decrease the production of saliva giving you a dry mouth.

Citric fruits

Citrus fruits like oranges are extremely good for your health, and you should definitely include them in your diet as they are high in Vitamin C. However, for the sake of your oral health you should not keep them for too long in your mouth. The reason behind this is that citrus fruits contain citric acid which can cause your teeth to erode.

Coffee

Coffee can have a strong aromatic smell, but pigments from the drink can settle in your teeth and give it a yellowish appearance. Also, coffee dries out your mouth and is often accompanied with sugar giving a green signal to bacteria to come and attack your teeth.

Garlic

Even though garlic is really good for your health and can add delicious flavour to your food, they are known to cause terrible bad breath. ‘When you eat garlic you produce several sulphur-containing gases. But what we found is most of the sulphur-containing gases, with exception of one, [are of oral origin]. AMS [allyl methyl sulphide] is the only one that is not metabolized by [intestine] or the liver, and this is why this gas can go back and be released in your mouth. It’s coming from the [gut], not from the mouth, and that is what gives you the odor that you have after you eat garlic.’ Fabrizis Suarez told WebMD.

Onion

Like garlic, onions too are notorious for causing bad breath. What happens is that onion produces certain gases in your mouth and while some of them are absorbed by your digestive system, others are expelled out of your mouth.

White bread

White bread can stick to your teeth and they also contain a lot of carbohydrates which the cavity causing bacteria in your mouth has a particular affinity for. In order to reduce the effects, rinse your mouth properly several minutes after eating white bread.

Chips

Chips are often enjoyed by children. Adults too love to have chips with alcohol. Not only do they lead to cholesterol build up in your arteries, they are also extremely bad for your oral health. What happens is that they stick to your teeth and provide the cavity causing bacteria in your teeth something to munch on.

Sweets

In India, sweets are often used to celebrate moments of success and festivals but unfortunately they are loaded with sugar which is bad for your oral health. Like white bread and chips, sweets too stick to your teeth and have a lot of carbohydrates which the bacteria in your mouth feed on.

Source: The health Site

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