A famous saying is that you are what you eat. This is often reflected in your mouth. Note that many foods you eat can cause plaque, which harms your teeth. A plaque is a sticky film that covers the teeth and contains bacteria. The bacteria will then cause tooth decay and gum disease. This begs the question; how do you prevent plaque? Besides brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily, here are foods and beverages to keep away from.

Alcohol
The obvious point is that alcohol is harmful to your health. The short-term effect of indulging in an alcoholic beverage is it causes your mouth to dry. When you have a dry mouth, you lack saliva, essential to keep your teeth healthy. Saliva is crucial as it fights germs in your mouth, thus preventing bad breath. In addition, saliva contains minerals and proteins, protecting the tooth enamel and preventing gum disease and decay.

It’s worth noting that heavy drinking will speed up gum disease. Additionally, it influences the mouth’s microbiome, leading to gingivitis development. Another effect of alcohol is teeth staining. Bear in mind that the color of your cocktail or alcohol has the potential to stain your teeth. Therefore, if you take dark beverages or drinks with high tannin content, your teeth will be stained. Some alcohol-related stains are temporary, while some have a long-term effect.

Ice Cubes
Chewing ice might seem like a harmless activity. However, this is far from it, as it highly affects your oral health. To begin with, chewing ice can cause cracks in the tooth enamel. Due to the cracks, you’ll have an increased sensitivity to hot and cold drinks and foods. If you break or fracture your teeth while chewing the ice cubes, there is a high possibility that you’ll get a cavity. This is because bacteria can easily penetrate through the cracks to the soft layer of the tooth and cause tooth decay.

In addition, if you have crowns, fillings or wear braces, chewing ice cubes is more dangerous as you’re susceptible to tooth damage. It would help to know that the extent of the damage will determine whether you’ll need a simple filling or a tooth canal. To know which treatment option will solve your dental issue, ensure to visit us for a check-up at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa.

Citrus Fruit
This is undoubtedly one of the foods you wouldn’t think would appear on this list. This is because citrus fruits add flavour to many recipes, such as salad dressings or strawberry lemonades. Even when citrus can be good for your health, the fruits can harm your teeth. A short-term effect of eating citrus fruits is increased tooth sensitivity. Like ice cubes, you’ll be limited from taking too hot or cold drinks and foods.

The long-term effect of eating citrus fruits is issues with tooth enamel. Notably, these fruits are highly acidic. Therefore, when you eat them for a long period, they will cause enamel erosion. When your enamel erodes, your teeth are more susceptible to tooth cavities and decay.

With the many health benefits that citrus fruits offer, avoiding them is not easy to do. One of the ways you can still enjoy it is by using a straw for drinking the juice. This will help reduce contact of the acid with the surface of your teeth.

Popcorns
Popcorn is doubtlessly one of the most popular snacks you’d probably eat when enjoying a movie. However, an annoying fact about this favourite snack is that it can get stuck in your teeth. Unfortunately, besides annoying hulls, popcorns are a trouble to your teeth. The short-term effect of eating popcorn is the development of gum abscesses. If the hull is trapped under the gums, there is a high probability of inflaming the tissue. Notably, if the hull is not removed on time, pus will start forming in the gum tissue, thus causing the gum boils.

What’s more, snacking on popcorn can cause cracked teeth. The kernel is often hard and dense, thus causing massive tooth damage. An untreated cracked tooth will not only cause you pain, but you risk losing the tooth if decay occurs.

If your teeth are damaged due to harmful foods, prioritize visiting us at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa. Our dental experts will help treat the issue and help maintain your oral health. Contact us today to book an appointment!