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Maintaining good oral hygiene is essential to avoid tooth decay and other dental issues. However, certain eating habits can have an impact on your oral health. Here are a few food items that can harm your oral health.

Candy

Candy, even the sugar-free variety, should be consumed sparingly due to its high acid and sugar content. While sugar itself doesn’t damage your teeth, it does feed plaque bacteria. This can make your mouth more prone to tooth decay and gum disease. Cavities can form after you consume candy because the bacteria in your mouth use sugar to produce acids that harm your tooth enamel.

The longer the candy stays on your teeth, the more damaging it can be. Always brush your teeth after eating candy or sugary foods. Flossing is also necessary because you can miss bits of food that are stuck in between teeth. If cavities do form due to your consumption of sweets, contact your dentist right away for treatment.

Crackers

Cracking or crunching on hard foods is bad for your teeth and can cause fractures in dental enamel. In addition to crackers, other crunchy snacks include nuts, popcorn, seeds, chips, and ice. Avoid these foods as much as possible to protect your oral health. Hard foods can crack teeth by causing stress to the tooth’s supporting structures. These cracks run the risk of allowing bacteria to reach the sensitive nerve inside the tooth. This can lead to pain and subsequent root canal therapy. Chipping a tooth can also expose the dentin layer, which is softer than the outer, protective layer of enamel. This increased surface area makes the tooth more susceptible to sensitivity.

If you are craving something crunchy, opt for snacks such as an apple, carrot stick, celery stick, or pears. Choose calcium-fortified juice or water to wash down your snack to help neutralize the acid in your mouth that can cause tooth decay. You can also chew sugar-free gum to increase the flow of saliva to wash away food particles.

Sticky foods

You probably already know that candy is bad for your teeth, but did you know that sticky foods can be just as bad? Anything that sticks to your teeth, like peanut butter or caramel, can cause decay and cavities if left in your mouth for too long. You should brush your teeth after every meal to remove any food particles from your mouth before bacteria have a chance to destroy them. If you’re eating something sticky, then be sure to rinse out your mouth with water afterward as well.

To learn more about good oral care habits, schedule a consultation with Dr. Singh by calling Soos Creek Dental at (253) 631-8241 or visiting our office located at 17615 SE 272nd St, Covington, WA 98042.