While it’s obvious that many foods and drinks aren’t good for your teeth, such as soft drink or lollies, there are some less obvious foods that dentists will still avoid. While some people might argue that you need to avoid these foods altogether, most dentists agree that moderation is the best course of action.
For example, you shouldn’t feel bad about eating lollies or drinking a soft drink if you are brushing and flossing your teeth every day. As with all oral health, the best outcomes come from mitigating the impact our diets and lifestyles have on our teeth.
So, whether you’ll cut them out altogether or simply reduce your intake, here are 6 surprising foods that aren’t doing your teeth any favours.
Ice
While there’s nothing wrong with putting ice in your drink to cool it down, make sure that you don’t ever chew on it. Chewing ice causes trauma to the teeth and actually cracks the protective enamel layer that prevent cavities from forming.
Sports drinks
Sports drinks are marketed to give us the illusion that they are normal to have in a healthy and active lifestyle. In reality, they aren’t much different from regular soft drinks, being high in sugar and acidic.
Similar to sports drinks, energy drinks also contain a lot of sugar and should be consumed in moderation, if at all.
Sour gummies
The sour taste sensation in these types of lollies is created by adding acid into the mix. This gives your teeth a 1-2 punch as the sugary candy is breaking down the enamel of your teeth whilst also sticking to your teeth for longer.
Dried fruit is also bad for your teeth for similar reasons. Basically, any food that’s designed to be sticky is going to be worse for your teeth.
Flavoured coffee creamers
Coffee and tea without and sweetening added are totally healthy options for most kinds of people. However, when you add syrup, sugar or flavoured creamers the drink then becomes unhealthy for your teeth.
Many people who have 2 or 3 coffees a day are damaging their teeth even more often. If you absolutely must sweeten your hot drinks, make sure you rinse your mouth with water afterwards to clear away what you can.
Alcohol
Now, while we all love our alcohol, we probably shouldn’t consume as much of it as frequently as we do. Apart from the obvious negative health aspects of alcohol, it’s also bad for you oral health as it promotes the dryness of your mouth.
A dry mouth means that less saliva is being produced. The less saliva your mouth has, the less well it can fight against bacteria and puts you at a higher risk of gum disease or cavities.
Excess alcohol consumption can even lead to oral cancer over the long term.
Popcorn
The worst thing about popcorn is all the kernels that don’t pop in the microwave, as these can actually break a tooth if chewed on too hard. However, popcorn doesn’t need to be given up altogether, just avoid eating the un-popped kernels.
David Smith was born and raised in Calgary Alberta and loves to share his passion for health and fitness with others. Apart from running his own podcast, which uploads weekly shows that covers current health trends, he spends his time canoeing and backpacking. David recently spent a summer working at the CFIA as a health supplement reviewer. In regards to academics, David studied kinesiology at Guelph University.
