Brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing once a day, combined with regular dental visits, promotes good oral health. While proper oral hygiene promotes healthy teeth and gums, the food you consume also significantly impacts the health of your teeth. All foods and beverages pose a risk of tooth damage, but the harm varies, with some causing more severe damage to the teeth. Unfortunately, many people overlook the role of food in the quality of a smile. If you want to improve your oral health, identifying the worst foods for your teeth is a significant step toward achieving your goal of having flawless and functional teeth and gums.

Reasons Some Foods are Worse for Your Teeth Than Others

Before discussing the worst diets for your teeth, it is crucial to understand the reasons why some foods cause more damage to the teeth than others. When evaluating the extent of damage a meal or drink can have on your oral health, you should consider its composition and quality.

The mouth has over 700 bacterial species. Some bacteria are suitable for the mouth, while others are harmful to it. The harmful bacteria breed and multiply on fermentable carbohydrates. When you consume foods or beverages with sugar or simple carbohydrates, the harmful bacteria consume the sugars and expel acid waste that eats away at the crucial minerals of the tooth enamel, forming tiny holes that later grow into cavities. The cavities can lead to oral complications, including abscesses, pain, and difficulties with chewing. Acid production occurs locally, on the surfaces of the mouth that are difficult to clean, allowing for the destruction of teeth.

Also, acidic foods can directly damage the enamel, exposing you to various oral conditions. Foods or drinks with low pH are acidic, and when they come into direct contact with the enamel, which is the hard protective layer of your tooth, they soften it. Continued exposure weakens the enamel, leading to tooth sensitivity and discoloration, which occur when the tooth surfaces wear away, exposing the inner, yellowish layer called dentin. Increased acidity in the mouth also increases the risk of cavities.

Typically, when you consume food or a beverage, some particles or debris remain on your teeth and in your saliva. The toxic bacteria in the mouth mix with carbohydrate and sugar debris, and the acid they produce breaks down the debris into a sticky, acidic layer or film called plaque. It is natural for plaque to form on the teeth, which is why dentists recommend brushing at least twice a day, after meals, to remove debris and prevent plaque formation. Even if the sticky layer forms, you can remove it through brushing.

However, if you do not observe proper oral hygiene, the plaque hardens, forming tartar or calculus. This layer cannot be removed through regular brushing and requires the expertise of a dental professional and specialized tools to be extracted. Tartar forms along and under the gum margins, exacerbating the production of toxic acids that irritate the gums, causing them to become inflamed and tender, an early stage of gum disease known as gingivitis.

From this information, you can deduce that plaque formation is a key factor in increasing the risk of oral complications. These foods, which are detrimental to your teeth, combined with poor oral hygiene, can exacerbate your oral health issues. How do you deter plaque formation in the mouth? On top of brushing and flossing your teeth as recommended by your dentist, you should steer clear of or entirely avoid foods that increase the risk of tooth damage and oral complications.

Foods that are Bad for Your Teeth

Your dietary choices can have adverse effects on your teeth and gums. The worst foods for the teeth are:

Food with Chewy or Sticky Texture

The texture of snacks, such as gummy candies, dried fruits, and potato chips, can be a nightmare for the teeth. They cling to the nooks and crevices of the teeth, leaving behind debris that feeds the harmful bacteria. The debris is difficult to remove through brushing, while saliva finds it difficult to wash it away. The effects of various chewing or sticky foods on the teeth are different.

Potato chips are crunchy and are often marketed as healthy snacks. However, they contained refined starch, which is broken down into sugar. When you chew, they form a sticky mush that is trapped in the teeth, feeding harmful bacteria. If you eat the chips for hours, the sugar debris trapped in the spaces feeds the harmful bacteria, which produce toxins that adversely affect the teeth. Therefore, it is recommended that you floss your teeth after eating chips to remove any debris that could encourage the growth of harmful bacteria.

Another snack whose texture can harm your teeth is dried fruit. Although manufacturers market the snack as safe, it has a sticky texture. When you chew, the concentrated sugar in your food clings to the nooks and grooves of your teeth, continuously feeding harmful bacteria. In return, the bacteria produce toxic acids that weaken the enamel. If you eat dried fruits, rinse your mouth with water immediately after eating and brush your teeth later to avoid eroding the softened enamel.

Sugary and sour gummy candies trigger tooth decay. They contain sugars or acids that stick to the nooks for some time, allowing them to mix with harmful bacteria. The acid in the sour candies is harsh on the enamel, and prolonged exposure can weaken the tooth surface over time. If you must chew the candies, brush your teeth afterwards to remove the debris. 

Lastly, be cautious with granola bars because they often contain syrups, dried fruits, and honey, which can make them overly sugary and sticky. The sticky texture means the sugar debris is trapped on the teeth longer, prolonging contact with harmful bacteria.

Acidic Foods and Beverages

Some diets are more acidic to the teeth than others and could be damaging to your teeth. For instance, citrus fruits and juices are tasty and rich in Vitamin C, which is good for the body. However, the fruits contain citric acid, which can weaken the enamel, making the teeth prone to decay. If you want to enjoy the benefits of vitamin C and antibodies in citrus fruits and drinks, consume them in moderation when eating other foods. Rinse your mouth with water immediately to remove any debris and reduce acidity.

Carbonated drinks, such as soda and diet soda, are also highly acidic. Studies show that abuse of acidic carbonated beverages, such as soda, increases the risk of enamel erosion, the same as cocaine and methamphetamine. The sugar in these drinks causes the toxic bacteria to produce more harmful acids that soften the enamel. The sugar, coupled with the acidic nature of carbonation, increases the attack on the tooth surface. Diet soda, although free of sugar, contains acidic contents that erode the enamel. If you must take soda or other carbonated drinks, limit your intake and avoid brushing immediately, as you could remove the softened tooth surface.

Foods containing vinegar can threaten the health of your teeth. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which can wear down the enamel over time. Examples of these foods include salad dressings and pickles.

Foods Containing Added Sugar

Sugar debris or buildup in the mouth feeds the toxic bacteria, which in turn increases the production of acids that erode the enamel. It is the reason sugar added to various diets is deemed a significant factor in causing tooth cavities. Natural sugars have no considerable harm because they have protective compounds, such as fibre and minerals, which stimulate the salivary glands to produce saliva that shields the teeth and gums from harmful acids. Conversely, refined sugars, such as table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, when added to foods, increase the risk of cavities and overall poor dental health. Apart from increasing acidic production, the sugar debris, when in contact with the gums, can cause inflammation, leading to damage to the gingival tissue and an elevated risk of gum disease.

Examples of foods with added sugar include:

  • Sugary cereal
  • White bread
  • Baked sweets

Foods that Cause Mechanical Damage to the Teeth

Chewing hard foods or substances can cause immediate mechanical damage to the teeth. The worst foods in terms of mechanical damage include ice, olives, hard candies, and popcorn. Ice contains water only, but chewing it exposes the teeth to severe enamel damage and various dental emergencies, such as chipped, cracked, and fractured teeth. Ice helps to cool your drinks, but chewing it can be detrimental to your teeth. Again, its extreme temperatures can trigger micro-cracks that expand with time, causing tooth fracture.

Similarly, the unpopped kernels in your popcorn can loosen your dental crowns or cause tooth chipping or fractures. Besides, the husks can lodge in the tiny spaces between the teeth and the gum tissue, irritating and, in the worst cases, causing oral infection.

Sudden biting on pitted food can also lead to dental emergencies, such as fractures, breakage, or chipping.

Sugar-Added Beverages

While sugarless coffee and tea can stain your teeth, the damage is more severe when you add table sugar or flavored syrups. Drinking these beverages with added sugar allows the sugar to interact with the harmful bacteria for the duration of the drink, leading to acid production and enamel weakening.

You are already aware that excessive alcohol consumption can harm your health. What you do not know is that alcoholic beverages containing added sugar can cause xerostomia, or dry mouth disease. Saliva plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy teeth by washing away sugar and carbohydrate debris. Additionally, it reverses early signs of decay, periodontitis, and other dental infections. The sugar and acidic compounds added to alcoholic beverages cause a dry mouth effect, increasing the risk of various oral complications, including cancer. The increased acid levels in the mouth also increase cravings for processed foods, which are mainly high in sugar, and increase the risk of oral diseases. Again, when you have an alcohol drinking disorder, you will not observe proper oral hygiene or seek dental care regularly, further elevating the risk of oral problems.

If you must consume sugary beverages, do so in moderation and rinse your mouth immediately with water.

Preventing Tooth Damage

In addition to brushing and flossing, you can take several other measures to protect your teeth. These include:

  1. Avoid Snacking and Sipping Between Meals

Saliva washes away food particles in the mouth, reducing the interaction of the sugar debris with harmful bacteria. Besides, it remineralizes the tooth surface using bicarbonate, thus lowering the acidity in the mouth.

Unfortunately, whenever you snack or take a beverage, saliva production drops and takes up to twenty minutes to return to normal levels, which can cause an imbalance in the mouth that may damage your teeth.

Avoid snacking and frequent drinking of sugary beverages. If you must, swish or drink water after every meal throughout the day to wash away the sugar debris and lower acidity.

  1. Be Cautious with Certain Medications or Medical Illnesses

Chemotherapy, dialysis, tuberculosis, and hypertension medication can cause reduced salivation or low-quality saliva. Therefore, get checked frequently for these conditions, and if the medications are causing a dry mouth, consult with your doctor.

  1. Combine Acidic or Sugary Foods with Other Meals

If you must snack, the timing must be right. Eat your snacks or drink with other meals of the day. During mealtime, there is increased salivation, indicating that the saliva contains a sufficient amount of bicarbonate to neutralize the acid produced by the sugary and acidic substances.

  1. Delay Brushing By 30 to 60 Minutes

When bacteria consume sugary foods, they produce an acidic bacteria that softens the tooth surface. If you brush immediately after acid has been continuously around your teeth, you will cause abrasion on the softened enamel. Therefore, you should rinse your mouth with water and wait for at least 30 minutes before brushing to avoid abrasion.

  1. Observe Routine Dental Visits

Dental experts recommend visiting a dentist for an oral examination at least twice annually. Regular visits will ensure that the dentist catches any tooth decay or cavities caused by poor food choices and other factors on time. Waiting until you develop cavities to see a dentist means the decay will have already started, and the problem could be irreversible.

Find a Reputable Advanced Dentistry Service Near Me

Good oral health practices promote healthy teeth, gums, and overall body health. Proper dental care also entails avoiding sugary and processed foods because these increase the risk of tooth decay. To avoid or limit the use of foods that are bad for your teeth, you should start by understanding the dangers and identifying effective strategies for consuming or avoiding the food.

At Valencia Advanced Dentistry at Copperhill Smiles, we will not recommend cutting all foods that are considered bad for your teeth. Instead, we will employ measures that raise awareness of the dangers of these foods to teeth and provide the best consumption strategies. Call us at 661-775-7717 to understand the best foods for your teeth and how to maintain proper oral health in Santa Clarita, CA.