I often touched on the topic of nutrition in my articles. Now I understand that I left some important aspects in the shade. What do I mean?
When I talked about food, I focused more on its benefits or negative effects on the health of the body as a whole, but rarely on the health of our teeth. Teeth are also part of our body and require very careful treatment.
You all know about the dangers of sugar, because it contributes to the creation of a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria that use sugar as a food source, resulting in caries and other oral diseases.
However, there are other products, you don’t even suspect the dangers of some of them. Let's take a closer look at these products!
1. Popcorn
The shell of corn kernels, getting stuck between the teeth, can lead to serious damage to the gums. In addition, its sharp edges can injure the gums and soft tissues of the oral cavity and cause inflammation. If you really love popcorn and are not ready to give it up, first, choose the most natural, without caramel, dyes and sweeteners. And, secondly, rinse your mouth immediately after eating, and clean the gaps between your teeth with dental floss.
2. Pasta
Starchy foods such as pasta, rice, and potatoes damage teeth because they break down into sugars that produce acids that erode tooth enamel. Also, products containing large amounts of starch form an ideal environment in the oral cavity for the development of harmful microflora.
3. Nuts
In addition to possibly cracking the enamel, chewing on hard nuts can also damage dental implants, dentures, and braces. Try eating smaller nuts or ground into butter or paste.
4. Sweet carbonated drinks
Your teeth are under enormous stress when you drink sugary sweet carbonated drinks. Sugary sodas can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per serving. By the way, most sugary carbonated drinks contain sweeteners that are several times sweeter than sugar. In addition, sweet soda contains citric and phosphoric acids, which corrode tooth enamel. If you don't want to permanently damage your teeth, replace sugary drinks with healthy mineral water!
5. Ice
The American Dental Association says people would be surprised how many adults think that ice for cooling drinks is safe for teeth. It contains water, so what's wrong with it?
If you have a habit of chewing on ice, you run the risk of damaging your enamel. Biting off hard objects makes a person's teeth vulnerable and can also cause them to decay.
6. Canned fruits
There are almost no useful vitamins and microelements in canned fruits, but there is a lot of sugar, which not only badly affects blood vessels, metabolism and figure, but also spoils teeth. It is better to eat fresh fruits.
7. Sauces and dressings
When buying various sauces or salad dressings, pay attention to the composition – they often contain acetic acid or lemon juice, which are especially damaging to tooth enamel.
8. Alcohol
In addition to the usual risks associated with all drinks containing sugar and dyes, alcohol carries another danger. This causes dry mouth. Reduced salivation is one of the major problems in dentistry.
Saliva cleanses the oral cavity, neutralizes acids, and maintains optimal balance in the mouth. Frequent alcohol consumption reduces the body's natural defense against caries.
If you want to keep your teeth healthy so that you don't eat during the day, try not to keep food in your mouth for too long. Also rinse your mouth with water after eating. You can brush your teeth, but not immediately, but at least after 10 minutes, and with a soft toothbrush.