5 foods that can be surprisingly bad for your teeth

Here at AP Smilecare, we’ve always been proud to provide a full range of the highest quality dental treatments, encompassing everything from braces and implants to dentures, teeth whitening and veneers. Now obviously, you don’t necessarily need dental experts like us to tell you about the importance of healthy eating. The tricky thing is, though, sometimes foods we traditionally associate (rightly) with being very healthy for our bodies aren’t always quite so good for our teeth. Here, we’ve picked out some of the biggest culprits to watch out for!

Citrus fruit

Full of citric acid, citrus fruit such as lemons, oranges and grapefruit can be a significant detriment to your tooth enamel. Happily, there’s a workaround – to prevent your enamel from being eroded by acidic foods such as these, simply have a drink of water after consuming them to rinse the acid from your teeth. Around half an hour later, it’s worth then brushing your teeth to ensure the citric acid has been completely removed from your teeth.

Bread

As you probably know already, white bread contains more sugar than brown, but all types can be bad for your teeth due to the fact that the starches it contains break down into sugars which damage your teeth. When chewed, bread also becomes sticky and gets stuck in the crevices within (and in between) your teeth. To remedy this, choose whole wheat bread over white and drink water after eating it. Ideally, it’s then worth brushing and floss half an hour later too to keep your oral health in tip-top condition.

Dry fruit

Dry fruit has a very high sugar content as well as being very sticky, so not a great combination for your teeth! It is recommended to eat these tasty snacks with a meal rather than on their own, replace them with fresh fruit or make sure you rinse your mouth with a glass of water after eating. Due to its stickiness, flossing is also a good idea after finishing eating dried fruit to get rid of any residue that risks fast becoming a breeding ground for bacteria that attacks your enamel.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks can be quite acidic so much like citrus fruits, these can have a detrimental effect on oral health. The acidity content can similarly damage enamel, so even though these are great for replenishing electrolytes, they are surprisingly bad for your teeth. If you drink these regularly, try to drink water as your next drink of choice and ensure you brush them as soon as you get home.

Nuts

Nuts can be bad for your teeth purely because of how hard they are. They can wear down your teeth and cause chips and cracks. If you eat a lot of nuts you could even contribute to TMJ which is an issue where the jaw clicks while chewing and causes pain. Aside from this, nuts are not too bad for your teeth and can actually help remove sugary deposits caused by starch, just remember – everything in moderation!

Of course, these are all healthy foods so enjoying them as part of a healthy diet still has plenty of benefits, but being aware of the effects they could have on your dental health can help you to care for your teeth as well as possible. Remember to care for your oral health by brushing and flossing at least twice a day or more if you tend to eat sugary or acidic foods more frequently.

We’re passionate about looking after your teeth here at AP Smilecare, especially as the mouth is normally a useful window into the rest of your health. If you want to book an appointment or if you’ve got any questions about anything specific, our friendly team is always here to do what we can. We’re still taking care to offer a daily emergency service, so you can always trust to be here for you if you need some urgent help. If you need some quick advice, or you want to book an appointment for one of our other dentistry services, feel free to give us a call on 01254 270 000!