Worst Foods For Oral Health

The foods you eat play an important role in your overall oral health, as well as your overall health. Eating a balanced diet not only helps you maintain a healthy weight but also provides your body with the nutrients it needs to function at its best.

Eating a nutritious diet will help you maintain strong, healthy teeth. A diet high in sugar can lead to tooth decay or cavities, which can spread and damage the healthy teeth you have. Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body, meaning that if you allow plaque and bacteria to build up in your mouth, it can travel throughout your body and cause serious complications. To learn more about a few foods that can badly affect our oral health, read on. 

• Sugary Foods

It’s no surprise that sugar is one of the worst foods for your oral health. Sugar is bad for your teeth because it feeds oral bacteria. The more sugar you consume, the more bacteria will accumulate in your mouth. Bacteria eat sugar and produce acid as a byproduct. This acid eats away at your tooth enamel, which leaves your teeth vulnerable to decay and cavities.

• Highly Acidic Foods

Acidic foods can erode your teeth’s enamel, especially when consumed in excess. The enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth, so when it’s worn away, it makes your teeth more vulnerable.

• Sticky Foods

Sticky foods will get stuck between your teeth, which can be very difficult to remove. Sticky foods can also cling to your enamel, which can increase your chances of developing cavities. 

• Hard Foods

Hard foods, such as apples and nuts, can damage your enamel. Any hard foods, whether cooked or raw, can crack or chip your teeth. Also, hard foods can get stuck between your teeth, leading to discomfort and serious dental issues.

• Dry Foods

Dry food items like potato chips, pretzels, and crackers are more likely to cause tooth decay than moist foods. Dry food items can be more difficult for saliva to rinse away, which allows them to linger longer in the mouth. This means that they are more likely to become stuck in between the teeth, increasing the risk of decay.

• Junk Foods

Eating junk food is one of the worst things you can do for your oral health. It’s bad for your teeth but even worse for your gums. That’s because it’s full of sugar. Sugar feeds the bacteria that live in your mouth, allowing them to reproduce more. This can cause a buildup of plaque bacteria. The more bacteria in your mouth, the more inflammation you have, which can lead to gum disease.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Kossi, DDS, at Smile City Dental in Santa Clarita, California, to learn more tips for maintaining a healthy smile. You can reach us by calling (661) 252-8888, scheduling an appointment online, or visiting us at 19366 Soledad Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91351 now.