10 Worst Foods For Your Teeth and Gums

You might be surprised but this is the reality, do you know that there are some foods you are probably eating day-to-day that are even worse for your teeth than candies?

Most of us are already aware that candy is bad for our teeth and that some candies are worse than others, but no one is talking about these cavity-causing foods.

We talked about the best food for your teeth in a previous article, and now we are going to breakthrough foods that will probably put you at the risk of having Tooth Decay, Gum Disease, Bad Breath….etc. Try to avoid or limit the consumption of the following foods at any cost.

crackers

A serious cavity-causing food is a saltine cracker, sugar exists in many different forms it’s not just the candy sugar that we immediately think of when we think of sugar.

In the case of saltine crackers, they are considered fermentable carbohydrates. After you eat carbohydrates, they eventually break down into sugars. However, the fermentable carbs are the ones that break down into sugars, while they are still being chewed in your mouth.

So fermentable carbs are the sneaky super bad sugars, we all know that candy is sugar right away but saltine crackers and other products like crackers, chips, bread, goldfish, and pasta are all fermentable carbs.

Think about it, when you’re eating these types of foods and when you’re chewing on them, they start to get sticky and stuck all up in your teeth, and of course when food gets stuck into your teeth that make matters even worse because it’s harder to clean out.

So when you’re craving starchy carbs like bread try to eat less refined varieties, such as whole wheat they have fewer added sugars which help reduce your rate of getting cavities.

Also, try not to let these carbs be stuck on your teeth for a prolonged period, and make sure you are always drinking water while you’re eating them to help wash them away from your teeth.

Dried Food

it’s basically candy in another form, it’s sticky, and it’s high in sugar. Just skip the dried fruit and eat the fresh fruit if you can.

If you can’t because you’re on a road trip or something and dried fruit is just what you have make sure you properly brush and floss after. So none of that sticky dried fruit is stuck all up in the crevices of your teeth also always drink water as well.

Drinks ( Soda/Juice )

it’s no secret that soda is bad for your teeth because most soft drinks contain a massive amount of sugar but that’s not the only issue with soda or pop or whatever you want to call it. Anyway, soda is very acidic as well, so it’s not only the sugar it’s the acidity.

The acidity can break down your enamel and the sugar as we all know can give you cavities. In addition, soda tends to stain your teeth too, so nothing good comes from drinking this stuff. Avoid it when you can and if you’re at a party or something and treat yourself once in a while to a can of coke or whatever try to drink water right away after you’re done so then this sugary acidic beverage is not sitting on your teeth for a prolonged period.

Just like soda juice is also very sugary and acidic. So it’s the same thing goes for juice try to avoid sipping on juice throughout the day, especially with kids. Lots of apple juices, however, have no sugar added, so that’s a little better but still there are natural sugars right?

With kids, you should still water down the apple juice. Adding some water to the juice kind of lower the concentration of the juice which helps decrease the natural sugars and make it a little better for their teeth.

Also, it’s recommended to use a straw to keep it from having too much contact with your teeth, and always rinse with water after gummy vitamins.

coffee & tea

Both coffee and tea are acidic and diuretic which mean they can dry out your mouth. A dry mouth meaning not much saliva in your mouth makes you more prone to both cavities and gum disease.

Most people tend to add cream or sugar itself to their coffee so it’s just a whole thing worse for your teeth. And of course the staining, we’ve heard that sometimes tea stains your teeth more than coffee but of course, it depends on the tea and it depends on the person.

Either way, after you’re done with your coffee and or tea always rinse with water so it is not sitting on your teeth. You should remind yourself to drink, sip on, and rinse with water after each meal.

Cough drops

They are essentially candy, don’t eat them unless you need them for treating a cough.

beer, wine, and cocktails

The reason these are super bad is that often when you’re drinking these you don’t just drink them and you’re done. You sip on them, you’ll be sipping, and the longer the prolonged amount of time that this stuff is sitting on your teeth the more likely you are to get a cavity.

Especially, with the carbs in the beer, acidity in the wine, and the sugar-filled cocktails it is all bad stuff.

One more thing, alcohol can also dry out your mouth so like we said earlier dry mouth can cause both cavities and gum disease. So not only should you rinse with water after consuming alcohol but it’s also a very good idea to add a fluoride mouthwash to your bedtime routine after a night of drinking.

Chewing ice

Although there is no sugar or carbs or acid or anything, ice is hard and oftentimes people chew on ice. Chewing on ice can cause unnecessary stress on your teeth which can crack your teeth causing long-term sensitivity and enamel loss which can lead to a bunch of other things. Ice is fine to cool your drink but it is not fine to chew on.

energy/sports drinks

You already know they are filled with sugar and acids, super bad just like soda and juice.

pickles

This is because the vinegar is acidic, there is a study we came across about pickles that were done in England. It was showing how pickles were one of the salad foods most closely linked with tooth wear.

Eating them more than once a day increased the odds by 85%, pickles can wear away your teeth, so be careful with them.

citrus

Oranges, grapefruits, limes, and lemons are all tasty, however, remember if you put a lemon in your water it is now acidic water which is a bad thing for your oral health. Also keep in mind the acid from the citrus can bother you a lot if you have any mouth sores.

Conclusion

So to recap sugars exist in many forms. Any form of sugar such as fermentable carbs can cause tooth decay also known as cavities. Try to cut back on the sugars and if you can’t cut back make sure you always rinse your mouth out with water after eating them. The same thing goes for acidic foods, they damage your teeth by releasing a small amount of your tooth enamel over time which exposes your teeth’ nerves. Anyway, you should just brush and floss properly after every snack and meal you take to avoid all of these problems.