Common Foods and Beverages That are Bad for Your Teeth

I know why you're here. You're concerned about your teeth. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you should be worried about what you eat. The food we eat does affect everything in our body, including our teeth.

Even if you are currently using professional teeth whitening products to make your teeth healthier and whiter, prevention is the best option to achieve that. What I mean by that, avoiding any cavity and stain-causing food will keep your teeth healthy (also regular brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups).

Today we will list some foods that cause stains and could erode your precious teeth, continue reading below.

Citrus Juice

Wait, a second, how can citrus fruits erode our teeth? They are packed with vitamin C and other nutrients that's good for our body. How come? 

Let me explain. Yes, they are good for our body but not for your teeth. Grapefruit and lemon juice are highly acidic. Their acidity is capable of eroding our tooth enamel over time. A research was conducted in 2008, which involves pulled teeth and soaking them with citrus juices. The result shows that lemon juice caused the most damage among the test variants.

Don't feel bad; we still have orange juice. It was also tested in the research, and it has the least damage to the tooth.

Sour Candies

Candies are bad for your teeth. Then how about sour candies? They're much worse. 

Sour candies contain different kinds of acids that are tough on your teeth. Overconsumption could cause erosion to your teeth. They are also chewy. You know what chewy food does; they stick between your teeth for a long time. That's where the problem starts; leftover candies between your teeth can cause cavities. 

Next time, if you're craving for sweet treats, try grabbing a bar of chocolate. They're much easier to chew and can be washed away with water.

Coffee

Ever washed your coffee mug? Have you ever noticed those light, brown stains accumulated at the bottom of the mug? The same will happen on your teeth if you drink coffee excessively. 

I know a lot of people love to kick start their morning with a cup of coffee. However, it leaves stains on your teeth, which are tough to remove. Coffee contains an ingredient called tannins, which sticks on your teeth. They don't just stick; they also attract other color compounds. It leaves a yellow hue on your teeth; they were caused by coffee. 

Bread

Now, this is quite unlikely. You might want to think twice about grabbing a loaf inside the supermarket. The saliva inside your mouth breaks down the bread into sugar. Then the bread becomes a sticky paste-like that sticks between your teeth, which causes cavities. Of course, you wouldn't want that.

If you're a bit hungry for carbs, try grabbing whole-wheat bread. It has less added sugar and isn't easily broken down.

Carbonated Drinks

Most people love that cool and fizzy drink. Drinking carbonated drinks like cola damages your teeth in the long run. A study shows that carbonated soda damages your teeth with methamphetamine and crack cocaine. These two substances allow plaque to produce more acid to your teeth, thus, making them brittle.

Next time you take a sip of cola, you're coating your entire teeth with acid. It also dries your mouth, reducing the saliva in it. If there's less saliva, then there's nothing to wash the acid off your mouth.

Final Thoughts

I know you already have an idea of how these foods and beverages do to your teeth. Just think of this topic as a reminder. If you want to have a smile that everyone likes, keep a lookout for these foods.