When it comes to foods and drinks that can lead to tooth decay, cookies, candy, and soda are the first things to come to mind for many people. Though it’s true that these sweets can lead to dental decay, they aren’t the only foods and beverages that can damage your teeth. Read on to learn about five cavity-causing foods and drinks that might surprise you.
#1: Dried Fruit
Dried fruits like raisins are a popular alternative to unhealthy snacks. Raisins also contain copper, potassium, iron, vitamin B6, calcium, and boron. These vitamins and nutrients help your body remain energized and also assist in maintaining good joint health and strong bones. Eating dried fruits like raisins can also improve your cognitive performance as well as your body’s ability to heal.
Unfortunately, not everything about raisins is good for your health. Since they’re dehydrated, the sugar concentration in dried fruit is much higher. Dried fruit is also sticky, so it’s difficult to wash out of your mouth. This allows the harmful oral bacteria that cause cavities ample time to feast on the sugar in these foods and damage your smile.
#2: Crackers, Pasta, Rice, and Bread
Believe it or not, even foods that aren’t sweet can lead to cavities. Things that contain a lot of starches and carbohydrates like crackers, rice, bread, and pasta break down into sugar in the mouth. This means that they can damage your smile in a similar way as sweet treats.
#3: Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is full of things that are good for your health, such as fiber and antioxidants. Sadly, fruit juices are often advertised in a way that makes them seem better for you than they actually are. Fruit juices that aren’t made entirely of natural ingredients are often packed full of sugar. Additionally, even many products that claim to be made from 100% fruit juice contain the same amount of sugar as a can of soda.
#4: Alcoholic Beverages
Though the occasional alcoholic beverage is unlikely to have lasting effects on your oral health, drinking excessively can mean bad news for your pearly whites. Alcohol tends to dry out your mouth, which allows harmful oral bacteria to flourish. Additionally, alcohol is acidic, which can lead to enamel damage. Mixed drinks like margaritas and mimosas are also combined with things that are high in sugar, making these beverages even more damaging to your smile.
#5: Diet Soda
Many people drink diet sodas as a way of cutting back on their sugar consumption. Even so, these beverages are just as acidic as regular sodas. Since this can weaken your enamel and make you more susceptible to cavities, drinking diet soda isn’t as beneficial as you may think.
These cavity-causing foods and drinks may be able to do some damage to your smile, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely cut them out. By consuming them in moderation, following up with a glass of water, and practicing good oral hygiene, you can keep your smile looking its best!
About the Practice
If you’ve been on the lookout for a dental team you can trust to take good care of your smile, Distinctive Smiles of Dublin is just what you need. They offer a range of treatments to patients in their comfortable, inviting dental office that can help you avoid oral health issues and maintain a beautiful smile. If you’re interested in learning more about how to avoid dental damage from cavity-causing foods and drinks or want to set up an appointment, call Distinctive Smiles of Dublin at (614) 792-1800 or visit their website.