You’re good to your teeth. You brush, floss, and visit your dentist regularly. However, even if you’re doing all of these things right, you could be damaging your teeth just by eating certain foods.
Here are 5 foods that could be doing damage to your smile.
1. Hard Candies
Candy may be yummy, but it is also packed with sugar. Because hard candy is meant to sit in your mouth for a while, eating this treat can expose your teeth to harmful sugar for a long period of time. It also carries the risk of a chipped tooth if you bite down on the candy.
2. Citrus
Citrus fruits have a lot of health benefits, but they are also highly acidic. Exposing your teeth to a lot of acidic food can wear down the enamel over time. This makes the teeth more susceptible to decay.
If you do eat or drink citrus, do it in moderation and be sure to rinse your mouth with water afterward to minimize the damage to your pearly whites.
3. Dried fruits
Dried fruits are another healthful item on this list that can also be a problem for your teeth. The issue with dried fruits is that they are sticky. Pieces of the fruit will stubbornly cling to all of your teeth’s crevices, leaving behind lots of sugar that can be damaging.
These snacks are great for you, so you don’t need to eliminate them altogether. Just be sure to brush and floss after eating them.
4. Carbonated Drinks
We all know that carbonated drinks like soda can be packed with sugar. However, the carbonation is also highly acidic. As you sip on your drink, your teeth are getting constantly bathed in acid. This can damage the enamel, and darker drinks can also leave behind stains that might require cosmetic dentistry.
5. Chips
I know what you’re thinking: chips aren’t sugary or acidic, so what are they doing on this list? Well unfortunately, crunchy snacks can often have the same problem as sticky ones. As you chew, bits of crunchy foods get lodged in your teeth. Because they’re starchy, they are just as damaging as the sugary snacks in terms of oral health.
You can enjoy some chips in moderation, as long as you brush and floss when you’re done.