Tooth and gum protection are one of the most important personal health tasks, as they play an important part in protecting the body from bacteria. As a health-conscious person, you may think your teeth and gums are protected by brushing and flossing. However, even with regular maintenance, there are some foods that can still do serious damage to your teeth and gums. Below are foods that are bad for your teeth and gums.
Candies
While it’s common sense to avoid sugar, candies can do damage to the teeth and gums. These candies are often higher in sugar compared to their hard alternatives. The chewy or sticky compositions of these treats makes them hard to brush and floss away. According to Columbia Dental, “It would be nice if a quick rinse was all it took to disinfect your mouth. The bacteria that cause gum disease, however, are too stubborn for such a simple method to work.” That means the that the sugar sits stuck in your mouth, feeding the bacteria there. If you do not get rid of the bacteria, it could create a build up on your teeth. Over time, this will create a destructive build-up of bacteria that can cause real damage to your mouth.
Alcohol
Alcohol and medication can also damage the mouth if not controlled. Alcohol evaporates liquid. As a result, it can dry out the mouth. This is not only uncomfortable, but dangerous. Saliva is needed to prevent tooth and gum decay. If you prevent its natural flow with alcohol, then the teeth and gums are exposed to forces that will gradually destroy them. Saliva also helps get rid of remaining food particles. Without it, those particles also wait around to become food for bacteria. Thus, you should think twice before mixing energy drinks with alcohol. Rather,alcohol consumption should as a result be limited or mitigated by rehydration.
Tomatoes
While generally considered a healthy food, tomatoes can be very harmful to your teeth. One of the few things that does real damage to teeth is acid. It eats away at teeth enamel, wears away at the gums, and speeds up tooth decay. Tomatoes are full of acid. As a result, eating tomatoes alone literally bathes the teeth in acid. The best way to get around this and enjoy the health benefits of tomatoes is to mix them with certain foods that neutralize the acid. Mixing them with mozzarella, cheese, lean beef, or even nuts can render them safe for your teeth.
Popcorn
One of the worst foods for the health of your gums is popcorn. While it can be a nice snack, popcorn contains the hard husks of the former corn kernel. These husks can get lodged in the space between tooth and gum. Many of these can be worked free with floss, but entrenched ones can get stuck. Over time, the husk can cause a gum abscess. This is a painful bacterial infection of the gum tissue. If left untreated, it can lead to tooth lose. In order to avoid this, make sure to floss afterward and get all the husks out of your teeth.
Bread
One of the worst things you can put in your mouth is ordinary white bread. All bread is made up of starches, or complex sugars. Before it can be digested, these starches have to be turned back into sugar. Your saliva is the first stage, turning the bread into a sticky, sugary, paste in your mouth. This paste has the same problem as sticky sweets, it gets caught everywhere. This leaves plenty of sugar in and around your teeth to feed the bacteria. The best way to get around this is to eat a whole wheat bread recipe, which has less starch in it and therefore less sugars.
Certain foods can do real damage to your teeth and gums if eaten in the wrong way. Chewy candies can leave debris in your mouth and build up bacteria. Alcohol dries out the mouth which affects the saliva to get rid of bacteria. Tomatoes can contain dangerous amounts of acid if they are eaten alone. Moreover, popcorn husks can infect the gums negatively. White bread is in fact the stickiest of sugars and could be substituted if you are open to eating whole wheat bread. Being careful when eating these foods will help ensure your teeth and gums serve you for years to come.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
