What you eat does not only affect your weight or shape, it also affects the health of your teeth.
In addition to brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing and regular visits to the dentist, try to avoid or limit the foods below.
Tart candy
It is not surprising that sweets are bad for the mouth. But sour candies contain more and different types of acids that are even worse for your teeth.
Also, because they're soft, they stick to your teeth longer, so they're more likely to cause cavities. If you're in the mood for sweets, take a chocolate bar instead.
Bread
Think twice as you walk down the bread aisle of the supermarket. When you chew bread, your saliva breaks down starches into sugar. Now transformed into a gummy, dough-like substance, the bread sticks to the crevices between your teeth. And that can cause cavities.
When you crave carbohydrates, aim for less refined varieties such as whole wheat. These contain less added sugars and are not as easily broken down.
Alcohol
We all know that drinking alcohol is not really good for your health. But have you realised that when you drink, your mouth is dry? A dry mouth lacks saliva, which we need to keep our teeth healthy.
Saliva prevents food from sticking to your teeth and removes food particles. It even helps to repair the first signs of tooth decay, gum disease and other oral infections. To help keep your mouth hydrated, drink plenty of water and use fluoride rinses and oral moisturizing solutions.
Soft drinks
Many studies have found that drinking large amounts of carbonated soda can be as damaging to your teeth as using methamphetamine and crack cocaine. Carbonated sodas allow plaque to produce more acid to attack tooth enamel. So if you drink soda all day, you are essentially smearing your teeth with acid.
It also dries out your mouth, which means you have less saliva. Finally, dark-coloured sodas can discolour or stain your teeth. A note: Don't brush your teeth immediately after drinking a soda, as this may actually speed up decay.
Citrus
Oranges, grapefruits and lemons are tasty both as fruit and juice and are full of vitamin C. But their acid content can erode the enamel, making teeth more vulnerable to decay. Even squeezing a lemon in water adds acid to a drink.
In addition, the acid from citrus fruits can be harmful to mouth sores. If you want to take a dose of their antioxidants and vitamins, eat and drink them in moderation at mealtimes.
