Real Tooth Talk…
When assessing how likely a given meal or snack or drink is to harm your dental health, there are two main things to consider, experts say. We’ve all heard that candy rots teeth or that that seltzer or soda-a-day habit will erode your tooth enamel, so you might also wonder what other treats, drinks, or meals might harm your teeth. First, know that all foods and drinks CAN cause tooth decay and damage the surface or enamel of your teeth. But not every food or drink causes equal harm. Some people are simply more susceptible to dental decay than others.
So! Here's what to keep in mind when taking care of your oral health.
When assessing how bad a meal, snack, or dessert is for your dental health, there are two main things to consider: Its composition and its quality.
Inside our mouths are more than 700 species of bacteria. Some are helpful, some are not. The harmful bacteria break down sugars from foods and drinks and turn them into acids — which over time can pull essential minerals from your teeth and cause cavities.
If you are not vigilant about cleaning, bacteria can form a soft film (plaque) on the surface of your teeth which can exacerbate the acidity to create a dream environment for even more bacteria to proliferate! If your dental plaque grows and hardens enough, that can turn into tartar, which can also irritate your gums and cause gingivitis.
Sugary foods containing sucrose or table sugar are especially bad for your teeth because harmful bacteria thrive on them. Many processed foods and sugary drinks like candy, pastries, fruit juice concentrate, and sodas fall into this category.
Any foods that are sticky, gooey, or chewy — think gummies, dried fruits, syrups, and candies — get stuck in the nooks and crannies of your teeth and the spaces between them. When excess sugar lingers in your teeth, harmful bacteria can store them in their cells, much like a pantry, and can continue producing acid for hours after you have eaten.
Certain drinks in sugary sodas, juices, energy drinks, and even milkshakes are also incredibly bad for your teeth. They wash your teeth in sticky and sugary solutions, and they are acidic to boot. Our teeth begin to break down when the acid level in the mouth dips below a pH of 5.5. (Note to soda lovers: Sodas tend to have a pH of around 3 to 4.)
Other carbonated beverages like seltzers are also acidic, as are coffee and alcoholic drinks which are often consumed with sugar syrups and mixers as well.
Some fresh fruits, vegetables, or starchy foods like citrus, potatoes, rice, and even bananas (!) are often maligned as bad for your teeth as they contain sugars or acids that can wear away at your teeth. But they also contain nutrients that can boost your overall health, so even if these somewhat sugary/starchy foods do get stuck in your teeth the benefits and tradeoff may be worth it. As long as you are brushing your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once before bedtime, and flossing every day, the nutritional boons of those foods will outweight the risks of dental damage. An important thing to note when it comes to fruit is that it's always better to eat it than to drink it, since many fruit smoothies — even homemade ones — have added sucrose sugars.
The good news is that brushing and flossing regularly can help keep your dental health in check.
And that said, the following are great habits to keep in mind.
Avoiding snacking and sipping. Saliva helps flush away lingering food particles and is one of the protective forces for your teeth. It remineralizes and strengthens your tooth enamel, and contains bicarbonate which helps to neutralize the acidity in your mouth. Anytime you eat and drink, know that saliva takes about 20-30 minutes to build up to protective levels, so frequent snacking or drinking can actually cause an imbalance.
If you must have that sugary drink, try consuming it with a meal or in one setting rather than nursing it all day.
Be a gulper, not a sipper: Drinking water after you're finished with food or drink you've consumed will help to wash out any sugars.
Heavy drinkers need to be extra careful because alcohol may also inhibit regular salivation, making it harder for your body to clean up residues lurking in your teeth.
Various medical conditions, treatments, medications like tuberculosis, chemotherapy, dialysis, antihistamines, and blood pressure medications can also inhibit saliva production, or change the quality of your saliva. Those affected by the above should be extra vigilant about practicing good dental hygiene.
Switching out sugary drinks and snacks with sugar-free substitutes is also a great move for your teeth. Substitutes like aspartame or sugar alcohols are not metabolized by bacteria like regular sugars, so they don't contribute to tooth decay. But keep in mind that acids in diet sodas will still cause demineralization of your teeth.
Drink more tea: There is evidence that black and green teas can help prevent dental decay as both contain fluoride and have higher pH levels.
Lastly, don't put off regular dental checkups. According to WHO, tooth decay is the most common noncommunicable disease worldwide! Regular dentist visits every six months are enough to catch any decay before it gets too serious. Seeing a professional is important because once a cavity has formed enough for you to notice it — you are well into dental decay.
Keep in mind that good dental health habits generally also tend to benefit your overall health. Eating fewer processed and sugary foods, having regular checkups every six months, and avoiding snacks between meals, (especially if they are sugary or sticky foods) can all benefit your life and health in the long run.
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