10 Foods That Are Bad For Your Teeth

Call Dr. Zia Rizvi at Ashburn Dental Care at (703) 936-9244 or (703) 858-1904 to book an appointment and discuss how diet affects oral health.

We all try our best to eat right and practice proper oral hygiene. However, even the best dental care routine falls short when patients add certain food items to their diets.

1. Candy

All dentists will tell you that there’s no good way to eat candy. Whether you slowly suck on it or quickly crunch it, tooth decay awaits.

2. Bread

Our saliva immediately starts breaking carbohydrates down into sugars, forming a sticky paste that gets into every nook and cranny and eats away at your tooth enamel.

3. Ice

If you’re the type that likes to chew on ice, you might want to rethink your habit. Ice has a very hard structure and sharp edges. It would only take one unlucky chomp to chip a tooth or worse.

4. Coffee & Tea

Coffee and tea possess powerful staining agents that can discolor your teeth. Over a long enough period, the discoloration can become so bad that it results in permanent staining.

5. Citrus

The citric acid in oranges and grapefruits will dissolve your tooth enamel, leaving your teeth prone to tooth decay. You can still get your Vitamin C, but try to rinse with water after eating citrus.

6. Alcohol

Yes, alcohol contains carbohydrates that break down into sugars. But, the real problem with alcohol is that it causes dry mouth. And, when you lack saliva, it makes your teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay.

7. Popcorn

The shells of popcorn kernels often become lodged under the gums, allowing bacteria to grow. Plus, every dentist has treated at least one patient with a chipped tooth resulting from an unpopped kernel.

8. Soda Pop

We all know that cola wreaks havoc on our teeth due to its absurd amount of sugar. But, patients should also avoid diet drinks as they still have plenty of acids that will wear away your enamel over time.

9. Potato Chips

The starches found in potato chips quickly transform into sugars when mixed with saliva. If you eat potato chips, make sure you brush and floss after consumption to remove any hidden particles stuck between your teeth.

10. Beef Jerky

Hunks of decaying meat stuck between your teeth always sound like a bad thing. Plus, trapped pieces can shift your teeth, causing temporary tooth pain.

Have your guilty pleasures been wearing away your enamel and causing cavities? Give Ashburn Dental Care the highly-rated dentist in Ashburn VA a ring at (703) 386-7784 or (703) 858-1904 for a consultation.