The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Tooth

Do you ever wonder what foods you should stop eating because of the harm they cause to your teeth? Many foods are good for your teeth, while some are not good for your teeth. If you want to protect your teeth and avoid problems such as decay, you might want to stop eating the following three types of foods.

Acidic Foods

Foods that contain high levels of acids are not good for your teeth. These foods are considered highly acidic foods and include pasta sauces, wine, fruit juice, and soda. Foods that contain high levels of acids harm your teeth because of the effects of acid on teeth. The acid eats at the tooth enamel. If acids eat away too much of your tooth enamel, your teeth become weak and vulnerable to decay.

While it might be impossible to avoid all acidic foods, you can reduce the risks of the effects of consuming these products. Anytime you eat an acidic food or beverage, you should try to rinse your mouth with water afterward. The water can clean some of the acids off your teeth, reducing the effects of the acids on your tooth structure.

Hard Foods

The next category of foods to avoid is food that is hard. For example, eating hard candies can damage your teeth. Chewing on a bone or anything else that is extremely hard can also damage your teeth. Eating hard foods is something you should aim to avoid if you want to protect your teeth.  

Starchy Foods

The other category of food to avoid is food that contains high levels of starch. Most people do not realize that starchy foods can harm their teeth, so it is essential to learn why this happens. Foods, such as bread, pasta, and bagels, are high in starches. These foods tend to be soft, so you might assume they will not hurt your teeth, but they can. The starches in these foods tend to get stuck in teeth. If you do not remove these starchy particles, these particles feed the bacteria in your mouth, leaving you with a higher risk of decay.

Eating these types of foods will likely lead to decay on your teeth. If you want to avoid decay, you should cut back on foods in these three groups. You may also want to visit a dentist twice a year for checkups and exams as a form of preventative care.