5 Foods to Avoid for Healthy Teeth

August 3, 2023

5 Foods to Avoid for Healthy Teeth

You may not know this, but there are foods you should avoid if you want to have healthy teeth and gums. What you eat affects your teeth positively or negatively, either leaving you with healthier dentition or struggling to keep cavities and gum diseases at bay.

At Locust Family Dentistry, we focus on helping you get healthy teeth in Locust, NC, through effective dental treatment, consultation, and tips. We ensure you have healthy teeth and gum, enhanced oral health, and improved overall health through our treatments and services.

Our dentists in Locust, Dr. Wael Zeitouni and Dr. Enes Maxhuni understand the crucial relationship between what you eat and your healthy gums and want to show you foods to avoid for healthy teeth and the best food to eat for oral health. Let’s go through them if you want to learn how to maintain healthy teeth and gums!

How Can Junk Food Affect Oral Health?

Have you been wondering, “How can junk food affect oral health?” We have the answer to your question. Junk foods are made from fat, carbohydrates, and sugars; a build-up of these substances on the teeth will cause dental plaque.

This plaque is a sticky film formed from residual food particles and saliva. If plaque is not taken care of, it will begin to eat into the tooth, causing tooth decay and cavities. So if you want to have healthy gums and teeth you should eat the best food for oral health

The Top 5 Worst Foods for Your Oral Health

The Top 5 Worst Foods for Your Oral Health

If you are wondering how to keep teeth healthy, you need to first know the foods you should avoid. Our Locust dentists have combined a list of the worst foods for your oral health and why you should stay away from them.

Sugary and Carbonated Drinks

When sugar combines with the bacteria in the mouth, it becomes an acid that immediately reacts with the tooth’s enamel. The reaction wears down the enamel and causes tooth sensitivity; this is a sign to pay attention to.

Sticky Candy

Candy will stay in the small spaces between your teeth, making it difficult to remove because of its sticky nature. The longer it stays, the more nutrition is provided for decay-causing bacteria to feed on the sugar and multiply.

Starchy Snacks

The starch in these snacks is broken down to sugar as digestion starts in the mouth, and plaque and acid are formed when the sugar meets. This acid will begin to act on the enamel of your teeth, and if the reaction is not curbed, it will lead to tooth decay.

Alcohol

Alcohol has a higher percentage of sugar content than carbonated drinks, and the intake of alcohol reduces saliva flow and therefore dries out the mouth. When this happens, the risk of gum disease and tooth decay increases as the action of the acid increases. 

Ice and Extremely Cold Substances

The enamel reacts to cold temperatures by contracting rapidly; when the cycle of contraction and expansion is repeated due to exposure to cold and hot beverages. It will lead to tiny cracks on the enamel that would later develop into a cracked or chipped tooth, leaving you vulnerable to tooth decay and sensitivity, making it one of the worst food for oral health.

If you’ve been Googling “dentist near me”, or you are looking for the best dental clinics in Locust, then you have nothing to worry about. Our dentists at Locust Family Dentistry are here to help you attain and maintain healthy teeth!

What Are the Best Foods To Eat for Your Oral Health?

You need to know how to keep teeth healthy, and to do that, you have to know what food has the best effect on your dental health. In place of sugary drinks, sticky candy, alcohol, and cold drinks, exchange them for fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and sugarless candy or chewing gum, as they are the best food for oral health.

This way, the amount of sugar to eat is reduced, and so is your risk of tooth decay. Also, implement fluoride toothpaste into your oral care routine to strengthen your enamel from acid attacks.

Maintain Healthy Teeth with Dental Cleaning in Locust, NC

Maintain Healthy Teeth with Dental Cleaning in Locust, NC

We understand that learning to keep healthy teeth and gums doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process of learning new habits and unlearning bad ones, and we are happy to walk you down the path.

At Locust Family Dentistry, we help you gain and maintain healthy teeth in Locust, NC, by not only giving you proper dental advice but also offering the best dental services. These services include dental exam and cleaning, Invisalign, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry procedures, to help you attain optimal oral and dental health.

Our treatment is fully backed by years of quality experience and research combined with the best dental equipment, making us top the list of the best dental clinics in Locust. Take a look at the reviews from our past patients if you still need some convincing!

So, if you are searching for a “dentist near me” in and around the Locust area, our dentists are the best choice for you to take care of your teeth and maintain top-class oral health.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our expert Locust dentists to learn the best foods to eat for your oral health, and also those you should avoid.