You brush and floss your teeth every day and visit your dentist in Rogers, AR regularly. But there are still ways you can cause problems with your smile. Dr. Heather Adams discusses five foods that you should try to avoid if you want to keep your smile healthy.
1. Dried Fruit
Reaching for fruit when you’re craving a sweet snack isn’t a bad thing. However, dried fruit isn’t the kind you want to pick. First, the sugar in it is very concentrated. Second, dried fruit is sticky and chewy. This makes it easy for it to get stuck between teeth, as well as in the crevices on top of your molars.
The bacteria in your mouth feed off of sugar. This causes them to release acid that eats through the enamel on the outside of your teeth. Since the enamel is your protective coating, this is what causes tooth decay. If you’re eating dried fruit and don’t have access to a toothbrush for a while, the bacteria can feed off of that stuck dried fruit for a long time.
2. Hard Candy
You may already know to avoid chewy candy because it gets stuck in your teeth. But hard candy isn’t a good alternative. Hard candy lingers in your mouth and takes a long time to dissolve. This means that it’s constantly releasing sugars into your mouth as it’s breaking down. Bacteria then linger and feed on this sugar for as long as it’s released.
Hard candy also poses a large problem if you bite or chew it. If it hasn’t dissolved enough and you bite down the wrong way, it can lead to a cracked or chipped tooth. There’s a good chance, then, of you needing an appointment for emergency dentistry. Even if it breaks when you chew it up, that means that pieces are getting stuck in your teeth. And they’ll take longer to break down than chewy candy.
3. Ice
Ice isn’t safe just because it’s made out of water. Chewing ice is a habit of many people. But constantly chewing ice causes a lot of wear and tear on your teeth. The same problem with hard candy can also happen with ice. If you bite down the wrong way at the wrong time, you may end up with a broken tooth.
4. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks can seem like a better alternative to soda and energy drinks. But they’re hiding some secrets behind their “beneficial” appearance. Sports drinks are absolutely loaded with sugar — sometimes as much as a bottle of soda. Due to the popular flavors of many of them, the citric acid content is high as well. This means a double punch of extra acid along with sugar.
5. Chips and Crackers
Crunchy carbs and starches break down into sugars as they’re eaten. So while you’re chomping on those snacks, they’re breaking into sugars right in your mouth. Chips are easy to get stuck between teeth and crackers form a paste that can be stubborn as well. If you’re going to have a crunchy snack, just make sure you have some water to rinse with after.
Preventative Care with Your Rogers, Arkansas Dentist
Keeping up regular dentist appointments with Dr. Adams can help you make sure that your diet isn’t harming your smile. Call us today to schedule an appointment!