Ten Foods And Drinks Which Can Damage Oral Health

How many of the following do you consume, and do you know the potential harm to your teeth and gums if you do?

We all have our preferences in food and drinks. Most of these are based on taste, with perhaps texture playing a role too. Many of us will probably think that we have a healthy balanced diet, whilst some might acknowledge that there is room for improvement. Perhaps more than we might think though, there is every likelihood that at least some of the things that we consume are less than beneficial for our teeth and may even cause significant problems. In today’s Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic blog, we take a look at ten of the most common things that can wreak havoc with our oral health.

Fizzy drinks

Especially when it comes to drinks labelled as ‘sports’ or ‘energy’ drinks, these can be a serious problem, and especially in the younger patients attending our Canterbury dental surgery. Not only are these often very high in sugar but also acids too. As these pass over the teeth when drunk, when consumed in excess they can soon lead to enamel erosion which can cause sensitive teeth and eventual tooth decay.

Hard or gummy sweets

As with most things on this list, sugar is a major contributor to the damage that can be caused when consuming them. The additional problem in this case though is that they don’t fully dissolve quickly and it is highly likely that small pieces will get stuck to the teeth or gums. If this happens for a long time, such as when sleeping, the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease is greatly increased.

Sour sweets

Much of the above applies to these as they are usually chewy. In addition to this, in order to achieve the sourness required, they will also be higher than usual in acidic ingredients that can cause sensitive teeth and decay, especially if eaten regularly.

Barbeque sauces

You might wonder what harm these can cause? Again though, most of these are high in sugar and will stick to the teeth very easily. Even with good quality brushing of the teeth and the use of dental floss, this will be difficult to remove in its entirety. Super sticky sauces and marinades such as these are best moderated as much as possible.

Dried fruit

Some people probably buy dried fruits thinking that they are healthier than sweets. These are especially popular for younger children, in particular dried raisins, and parents often buy them for this reason. Dried fruit is very sticky though and also acidic. If these get stuck between young children’s teeth for a long period of time, you may well end up with your child crying in pain with a toothache; something no parent wants.

Tea and coffee

In themselves, tea and coffee are not too harmful to our oral health, although they can cause severe tooth staining if drunk in excess. Limiting the amount of sugar that you put in them will make them more tooth friendly and we should take extra care when ordering in cafes. Some of the ‘speciality’ coffees especially can contain extremely large quantities of sugar.

Cough sweets

Like many other sweets, these contain a lot of sugar. One particular problem with these though is that they tend to be sucked for a long period of time to provide relief from coughing. The big danger is that if you have cleaned your teeth and gone to bed, then start coughing, you may well reach for a cough sweet to ease it and end up sleeping with your teeth coated in harmful sugars. Try to avoid this at all costs and if you do suck one after cleaning your teeth, it is worth getting up and giving them another brush afterwards.

Muesli

What once used to be the food most associated with healthy eating is now recognised as a potential danger to our teeth. Many commercial brands include quite a lot of sugar, along with dried fruit, which as we have said before, can potentially lead to tooth decay. Some types of muesli, and especially stone ground ones bought from health shops, may also very occasionally contain tiny fragments of the stone used to grind them which could cause breakages to the teeth.

Citrus fruits

Although containing healthy quantities of vitamins and minerals, excessive consumption of citric fruits such as oranges, lemon and grapefruit can cause tooth enamel to erode due to their high acidity. The trend of adding lemon juice to water as a cleansing morning drink has been thought to be a problem to some who did this. Enamel erosion can cause a lot of problems and once damaged in this way, can best be restored with porcelain dental veneers.

Flavoured water

Finally, a lot of us drink bottled water, perhaps when we go for a walk or a run. Some of us might be tempted to use the flavoured waters available but these can contain sugars and acidic ingredients, again, which can be harmful to our teeth.

As you can see, the list is fairly long and there are many more which could also be included. The reality is that most of us will probably consume one or more of these, but awareness of the harm they can cause can help us to make better choices and moderate. If we do this, combined with good quality brushing and flossing on a regular basis, plus paying regular visits to our Canterbury practice for a check up and professional clean every six months, the worst damage can hopefully be avoided.

If you would like to make an appointment to see a dentist or the hygienist at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic, please call our reception team for an appointment on 01227 463529.