When it comes to your dental health, prevention truly is the best medicine. We all know that there are healthy and unhealthy foods, but did you know that what you eat can directly impact your dental health? When trying to eat for a brighter and healthier smile, these are the foods you need to indulge in and food to avoid.
The Pros And Cons Of Citrus Fruits
While citrus fruits and juices are an excellent source of vitamin C and can benefit your health, overdoing them can seriously damage your tooth enamel over time. Grapefruit and lemon juice, in particular, are highly acidic and potentially damaging to tooth enamel. Orange juice is the least corrosive and often fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which makes it beneficial to dental health.
Don’t Get In A Pickle With Your Dental Health
Acid, which is generally provided by vinegar, is essential to the pickling process. It not only gives pickles their sour and salty taste but can also cause them to wear down tooth enamel. In fact, eating pickles more than once a day increases the odds of tooth wear by about 85%. However, snacking on them occasionally or having slices of pickle on your sandwich is unlikely to cause any long-term damage. High fiber foods on the other hand, like spinach and beans, do wonders for your teeth when it comes to cleaning them and preventing gum disease.
Sports Drinks
While everyone knows that soda is bad for you and your dental health, some sports drinks can be even worse. In a 2008 University of Iowa Study, it was discovered that Lemon-lime Gatorade is actually the most harmful to tooth enamel, followed by Redbull, Coke, and then Diet Coke. If you’re thirsty, reaching for water or milk instead will do wonders for your teeth.
Wine
As a general rule of thumb, anything that will stain your clothes or you table cloth will also stain your teeth. Red wine contains chromogens, which are what produces tooth discoloring pigments. The tannins in red wine also tend to dry out the mouth and make any stains more pronounced. Surprisingly, white wine can also contribute to staining teeth.
Get In Touch With Annapolis Dental Care Today
If you want to find out more about getting your ideal smile or to schedule your next visit, please contact Annapolis Family Dental Care by calling (410) 267-0766 or visit AnnapolisDentalCare.com today! We can give you more information, or schedule your appointment. Our diligent knowledge of all dental treatments and extensive experience in all fields of dentistry, ensure Annapolis Dental is best suited to care for your oral health. You can also follow Annapolis Dental Care on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.