Which foods or drinks do the most damage to your teeth? One ingredient, that’s in a lot of the foods we eat, is sugar, and it can definitely damage your teeth over time. Be careful about the amount of sugar you take in.

Candy

Do you love sugary sweets and candies? Most people do. However, there are certain foods such as caramels, hard candies and jelly beans that aren’t that good for your teeth. That’s because they stay in your mouth for a while, and that makes it harder for saliva to “wash away the sugar.” Besides those foods, there are cakes, cookies, pies and other desserts that can also lead to tooth decay. For those who love sugary foods, at least try to brush your teeth afterward.

Soft Drinks

What about soft drinks like Coke or Pepsi? These are not great for your teeth! They contain acid, which leads to things like dental erosion and cavities.

Surprise Foods

Here’s a food you might not have guessed: pickles! Pickles involve vinegar which has acid, and that acid wears away at tooth enamel. Besides pickles, there’s ketchup, which contains vinegar and high amounts of sugar– not the best for your teeth.

Do you like to drink wine? It can soften your enamel because it likely contains acid. And red wine, for example, has tannins which not only dry your mouth but also stain teeth. Yikes.

Citrus Foods

How about citrus fruits? Again, there’s the issue of acid, and in this case it’s citric acid which wears away at tooth enamel. Be careful with citrus/fruit juices, too, because they have acid and a lot of sugar.

If you do eat or drink things that are “bad for your teeth,” wait a couple minutes for your saliva to re-mineralize your enamel that the acid dissolved and then brush your teeth and/or rinse with water.

Do you need a dental check-up to deal with troublesome teeth? Schedule an appointment at Brockport Dental by calling 585-636-0555