With the rise of low-carbohydrate diets such as the keto diet and the paleo diet, the emphasis has been on how carbs can impact your energy levels. But have you ever wondered how carbs can impact your teeth? In this article, we’ll share 3 food types that are bad for your teeth. Just because you’re brushing and flossing your teeth doesn’t mean that you get to eat whatever you want. Keep reading if you’re interested in maintaining a beautiful set of teeth and smile. Overall, the tips we share here should not be used as a replacement for visiting a dentist.
What You Eat Shows Up In Your Oral Health
In Holistic Dental Care: The Complete Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums, Nadine Artmeis, a researcher on oral health writes, “Teeth are alive, and given the proper environment, they can regenerate; this is why internal factors that nourish the teeth are so important.”
If you have poor eating and nutrition habits, then this will show up in how healthy or unhealthy your teeth are. That is, a proper diet that’s nutrient-dense is needed in your journey to healthy and beautiful teeth. So, a proper diet is a good foundation to preventative dental care. Instead of decaying and discolored teeth, with the right diet, you can have strong and beautiful teeth.
3 Food Types That Are Bad For Your Teeth
That being said, when people think of foods that are bad for their health, they usually think of sugary foods. But these aren’t the only types of food that are bad for your teeth. Here are 3 categories of foods that are the worst for your teeth.
1. Sugary Foods
Sugary foods often cause decay and cavities. In Holistic Dental Care, Nadine Artemis writes, “Decay is not caused by sugar touching the teeth, but by sugar in the diet that deplete nutrition. Sugar also creates acidity in the mouth and intestinal tract, which is the opposite of what a healthy mouth and healthy saliva need.” So, how decay, discoloration, and cavities form is from the loss of nutrients and the subsequent acidity that becomes normal in your mouth. When it comes to sugary foods, think of things of like candy, soda, and baked goods.
2. Acidic Foods
As Nadine Artemis points out, acidic foods are problematic because they cause foods with higher acidic levels to take a longer time to decompose. Acidic foods can cause tooth decay, teeth discoloration and a host of other issues. Acidic foods includes soda, lemons, oranges, coffee, alcohol, and pickles.
3. Starchy and Highly-Processed Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates typically turn into sugar when digested. This is especially true for starchy and highly-processed carbohydrates. Foods high in starchy carbs and refined carbs include potatoes, bread, past, and cereals.
So, if you’re trying to prevent tooth decay, cavities, and tooth discoloration, then taking a good look at your diet is important. Keep in mind that we’ve focus on broad categories of food so that you can identify which food type or types are the ones that you’re overconsuming. For example, if you tend to gravitate towards acidic drinks, then think about having water instead. Likewise, if you like to have burgers with both buns, think about having lettuce wraps as a substitute. That way, you’re limiting the amount of refined carbs that you’re getting.
At Sunset Dental Care, we believe in preventative dental care
Our practice emphasizes preventive dental care. We love to help you with your teeth before there are issues like cavities, gum diseases, and even oral cancer. Our practice will help you learn the at-home oral hygiene routines you and your family should be doing, help with flouride treatments, and with regular dental visits. The latter is especially important in that a lot of people avoiding visiting dentists and think that they can solve dental problems at home. A lot of people also avoid going to the dentist because of dental anxiety and dentophobia (fear of dentists).