While maintaining your oral health requires regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups, what you eat and drink also plays an important role in your oral health. Your diet affects the condition of your teeth, gums, and jawbone, so it's essential to practice good eating habits. Here are some foods and beverages that can harm our oral health

Soft Drinks

Acidic beverages can cause tooth erosion. Soda is one of the worst offenders. It is full of sugar, which is easily broken down into acids that can eat away at your teeth. The acidity can also wear away your enamel. Plus, soda contains phosphorus which washes calcium out of your bones and teeth. Phosphorous also stains your teeth. Some sodas have citric acid added for flavor, which further erodes your enamel.`

Hard Candies

Hard candies are the worst foods for your oral health because they contain a lot of sugar and acid, both of which can cause major damage to your teeth over time. The sugar feeds bacteria in your mouth that cause cavities while the acid wears away at your enamel and increases the chances of tooth decay. 

You can avoid these tooth-damaging effects by drinking water after you eat hard candy or choosing other treats instead. 

Sticky Sweets

Candies and chewing gum are some of the worst foods for oral health because they contain a lot of sugar. Sugar is harmful to teeth because it has bacteria that feed on the sugars, producing harmful acids that can erode enamel and cause tooth decay. Plus, sticky candies and gum have a tendency to get stuck between the teeth and stick around for a long time, giving harmful bacteria more time to produce damage.

When consuming sugary treats, try to consume them in moderation or avoid it altogether to prevent excessive damage to your smile.

Starchy & Fibrous Foods

Eating a diet high in starch and chewy foods, such as potato chips or gummy candies, can cause damage to your teeth by causing damage to oral tissues and wearing down your enamel. The more chewing on these foods you do, the worse it is for your oral health! Additionally, starches break down into sugars that feed bacterial growth in your mouth – so if you're eating a lot of starchy and fibrous foods, you're also feeding the bacteria that can cause gum disease and tooth decay!

To learn more, visit Truxel Dental at 3880 Truxel Rd Suite #600, Sacramento, CA 95834, or call (916) 333-2700 to schedule an appointment.