Bridgewater, NJ Area General Dentist Shares Foods That Lead to Tooth Damage
We know that there are lots of foods that will stain your teeth, but it’s important to be aware of the foods that also damage your pearly whites. Avoid these foods if you don’t want to deal with loose fillings, chipped teeth or broken crowns.
Ice
During the summer, everyone wants to fill up their glass of lemonade with some ice. First, the sugary drinks are dangerous to begin with because they add to the bacteria count in your mouth. Then, you add ice to it and you have a new danger to deal with. Chewing on ice easily chips the teeth. This is true of other hard foods like biscotti, hard pretzels and baguettes as well.
Popcorn
When you are sitting in that movie theater, it’s tempting to get the buttery popcorn. Encountering those unpopped kernels leads to some issues. If you accidentally chomp down on one, you might break a tooth. Another threat is those thin shells that cover the kernel. They are notorious for getting stuck between your teeth and causing decay.
Fruits
If you eat fruit with pits in them like peaches, dates, cherries or olives, you are putting your mouth at risk. It’s easy to loosen your crown or crack a tooth when accidentally biting into these.
Candies
Most candy damages the teeth. If you chew on hard candy, you can crack your teeth. If you allow them to dissolve slowly, you are giving your mouth a sugar bath. With chewy candies, you risk losing your crowns and fillings as well as increasing your chance of cavities.
Sour candies might be the worst. That’s because they have the sugar that ruins the teeth and acids which destroy your tooth enamel as well.
If you must eat something that could damage your teeth, take extreme caution. Be careful of how you are biting and wash away any sugars with water when you’re done. You’ll also want to maintain good oral hygiene to give yourself the best chance of succeeding. If you have further questions about how to care for your teeth, be sure to see your Bridgewater, NJ area dentist for a consultation.