3 Foods to Avoid to Protect Your Teeth

What you eat has a direct impact on your teeth as well as your overall dental health. Therefore, it is important to avoid foods that can cause long or even short-term damage to your teeth to ensure maximum health and protection for your teeth.

However, sometimes, even foods that may seem harmful can have a negative effect on your teeth. Here are some foods that are very harmful to your teeth and should be avoided or minimized in your diet.

1. Sugar: You’re probably already aware of this one. Everything from soda to candy can be extremely harmful to your teeth. The second you consume something with sugar, it starts a harmful chain reaction in your mouth. If repeated constantly, these chain reactions lead to various oral health issues, including tooth decay.
    
2. Citrus: Citrus fruits are considered to be some of the healthiest foods you can consume due to the high levels of vitamins they contain. However, fruits like lemons and limes are acidic and can cause your enamel to erode. This can increase your risk of tooth decay over time. Since they are a healthy source of vitamins and other nutrients, it isn’t recommended to completely cut them out of your diet. But it is a good idea to cut back on them to protect your teeth. Additionally, you can drink a glass of water soon after having citrus foods to wash the remains away.
    
3. Dried Fruits: Having your kids eat dried fruits instead of junk food for snacks may seem like a good idea, but it isn’t as healthy as you think. Most dried fruits are chewy and sticky, which sometimes makes it seem like it’s impossible to get them off your teeth. Additionally, they are high in sugar. The longer the sugar stays stuck on the teeth, the worse for your oral health.

Try to keep the consumption of these foods to as little as possible to ensure healthy and long-lasting teeth.