Contents
It’s not just hard or sticky foods that are bad for our teeth. Much has been written about the dangers of sugar for the oral cavity, including drinks. Here are collected all products that one way or another cause irreparable damage to the enamel of the teeth and gums.
Sweet drinks
Carbonated drinks are very high in sugar, and sugar is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria in your mouth. In addition, such drinks change the composition of saliva, which also negatively affects the condition of the teeth and gastrointestinal tract.
These drinks contain acid, which also destroys enamel. Ideally, after such drinks, you rinse your mouth with plain water. But often carbonated sugary drinks are drunk non-stop just to quench their thirst, and it never occurs to anyone to drink them with water.
Natural packaged juices also contain sugar, and they are especially dangerous for children’s teeth. You can minimize their danger by drinking juices through a straw, and then rinsing your mouth with water.
Confection
The longer the sweetness is in the mouth, the more harm it will cause. That is, gummies and lollipops are much more harmful than brownies. But since sweet in general changes the composition of saliva, the benefits of some desserts over others are very doubtful.
Sugar interferes with the absorption of calcium, and this is the basis of strong bones and teeth.
To reduce the damage caused to teeth by sweets, you can brush your teeth after eating dessert.
By the way, chocolate is the only sweetness that is even good for your teeth. And even if this is a controversial statement, but the flavonoids and polyphenols that are included in its composition have an antibacterial effect. This applies to chocolate with a high cocoa content.
Dried fruits, contrary to expectations, are also not so healthy. Since the concentration of sugar in them is very high, they also stick to the teeth and remain in the interdental spaces. After eating dried fruit, floss your teeth and rinse your mouth with water.
Fast carbohydrates
Such products, the composition of which includes refined flour, starch, are also enemies of the teeth. Starch under the influence of saliva immediately breaks down into sugars. Don’t completely eliminate bread, pasta, and potatoes from your diet, just replace them with healthy rye, whole grains, parboiled rice, and boiled potatoes.
Caffeine
Caffeine insidiously flushes calcium out of the body is a proven fact. In general, its diuretic properties do not give vitamins and minerals a chance to gain a foothold in the body.
Even the benefits of fluoride and the antibacterial effects of black and green tea do not exceed their caffeine content and harm from it. It is advisable to drink herbal teas and not overuse coffee drinks.
Roasted seeds and nuts
In addition to the fact that the tooth enamel itself along the edges becomes thinner from the constant use of seeds or nuts, then raw seeds are at least useful. When frying, some vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids cannot withstand high temperatures and release harmful substances. All this adds to the problems and does not affect the injured enamel in the best way.
It is best if you buy raw seeds or nuts and dry them a little at home so that they remain moist inside.
Alcohol and medications
Both cause dryness in the mouth, which means that there is very little saliva in the mouth, which is necessary for the constant cleaning of teeth from plaque and the creation of a harmonious acid-base balance, and the teeth begin to deteriorate. In addition, alcohol has sugar in its composition, and we keep it in our mouth longer, savoring cocktails and drinks.
Milk
Despite the fact that milk is a source of calcium, which is so necessary for our teeth, it is also the reason why calcium is very quickly consumed by the body. Milk increases acidity, and the body neutralizes it with the help of the main mineral – calcium. Vicious circle.
And also: cold and hot
Enamel reacts to sudden changes in temperature by expanding and contracting. At this time, microcracks form on it, into which bacteria now and then enter.
You should not drink hot tea, even if your pain receptors are dull. Burns are fraught not only with dental disease, they negatively affect the mucous membrane, eventually causing dangerous diseases. If you really want to drink a cold drink, then take care of your teeth as much as possible and use a cocktail straw. Do not chew on ice cream, but eat it gently with a spoon.
And, of course, do not combine the two processes in one, do not amplify the effect. For example, do not wash down cold ice cream with hot drinks.
Be healthy!