Foods to Avoid If Going to the Dentist

26 January 2015
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


Knowing what foods to avoid can save you a costly trip to the dentist. There are foods that we eat on a regular basis that we don't think are harmful to our teeth but they cause serious damage once they get inside your mouth. Here is a list of some of the foods you should avoid for the benefit of your oral health.

Grapefruit

While there are a number of health benefits from eating grapefruit, the acids in it are extremely harmful to teeth. Many diets include grapefruit as an alternative to eating breakfast in the morning and suggest that you eat one every morning. The problem with that is that if the acids contained in grapefruit are left to sit on teeth for long periods of time they begin to erode tooth enamel. Once the enamel on the teeth is eroded it is gone forever and can never be repaired, so be very cautious of how much grapefruit you consume.

Hard Candy

Hard candy is bad for your teeth because it slowly dissolves against your teeth. As hard candy dissolves it saturates the inside of your mouth in sugar which then sits on your teeth and eventually turns into bacteria. Hard candy also poses another risk if you bite it as it can potentially break a tooth resulting in an expensive dental repair job. If you eat hard candy it is recommended that you brush immediately afterwards to remove the sugars from the teeth so that they don't have a lengthy period to work against the health of the tooth.

Pickles

The acid levels in pickles are exceptionally high because they cure in vinegar during the creation process. The salty flavor of the pickle is what you love when tasting them, but it creates a serious problem on the inside of your mouth. Consuming high volumes of pickles can be a potential hazard for good oral health as the acids destroy the enamel of the tooth and will cause irreparable damage that a dentist is unable to fix. Pickles should only be consumed in small portions and avoided if at all possible. If you do eat pickles make sure that you brush and floss directly after eating to remove potential threats.

Good oral health care is essential to keeping a bright and healthy smile. Regular visits to the dentist, one like Downtown Dental, for check-ups and cleanings are a must for maintaining good teeth and preventing problems from starting.


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