Keeping your teeth strong and healthy should be a goal for everyone, and avoiding foods that can damage your teeth is an important part of everyone’s regular dental hygiene routine - or at least it should be. If you must eat – or drink – foods that will discolor your teeth r contribute to their decay, it’s important to clean your teeth immediately afterwards, says Dr. Brad S. Haines of White and Haines Advanced Dentistry in Cornelius, North Carolina.
The main foods to avoid are those that are high in sugar. The reason for this is that sugar helps bacteria flourish and thrive which causes acid, and that eats the teeth and causes cavities or dental caries.
Foods that are high in acid are also bad for your smile, as they can eat into the enamel of the teeth to make them more susceptible to bacteria and cavities. That’s why I would recommend avoiding foods such as lemons, sodas and sugary sodas. All carbonated beverages and sodas have a high acidic content, and so does Gatorade, other sports drinks, and even a lot of fruit juices, regardless of whether they contain added sugar or not.
You also want to avoid a lot of sticky foods like sticky candies, dried fruits, things like that. If you choose to eat those foods, it is best to brush your teeth immediately afterwards. If you cannot do that, it’s advisable to chew sugar-free gum like Dentyne or Trident.
New Studies
New studies say that even if you brush right after eating, you should avoid or drinking sweet, sugary or carbonated beverages, they may be still bad for you and the damage has already been done. They say that brushing may not fix that damage as it will be too late.
But using a fluoride toothpaste will get fluoride into the area, which will strengthen the tooth. I believe that is much better than leaving it alone. Saying that, a few specialty brands of toothpaste are on the market these days which are without fluoride. Some are sold by dentists, like Oxyfresh.
Some people prefer these toothpastes as they do not do well with fluoride. They get stomachaches, for example, so they prefer not to use it. Tom’s toothpaste, which does not have fluoride, has xylitol as the added ingredient instead.
A movement is also saying fluoride is dangerous, which is why some people prefer to use a non-fluoridated toothpaste. No studies have shown that this is the case, but a segment of the population thinks that anything you any added ingredient that you put in your body is bad for you. So they prefer not to use fluoride.
I would continue using a fluoride toothpaste, and try to avoid foods that are bad for your teeth as much as possible. Attaining healthy white teeth should be a goal for everyone.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
