These nine foods could be damaging your teeth!

While cosmetic dentistry in Chino Hills is an option if your teeth start to look bad and fall out, it is far better to just treat them right and keep your teeth healthy. After all, they will be with you for the rest of your life. Prevention is the best medicine to ensure a healthy smile. And even though crowns, fillings and professional whitening can keep your teeth looking good, it is better and cheaper to avoid cavities by brushing regularly and avoiding the foods and drink that can harm teeth.

Fortunately, certain foods, like candy for example, may not be good for your teeth but are generally pretty harmless if taken in moderation. It is when you eat foods that are bad for your teeth in excess is when you will notice an impact on your smile. Here are a few examples of foods and drink you should only enjoy in moderation if you wish to keep that sparkly smile.

Foods to Enjoy in Moderation

Citrus Fruits

Although citrus fruits like grapefruits and oranges are a great source of vitamin C and other nutrients, they are also highly acidic and can erode teeth over time. Orange juice is the least acidic and you can find juice varieties that are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Drink your orange juice, but then make sure you brush and floss afterward.

Chewy Candy

The stickier the candy, the worse it is on your teeth. Super-chewy candies like caramels and taffy can stick to your teeth for a long time. When this happens, the bacteria in your mouth feeds on the deposited sugar, which makes an acid that dissolves the protective layer of the tooth enamel. In turn, this causes cavities.

What’s worse are candies that are sticky, sugary and sour as they deliver a triple threat to your teeth.

Hard Candy

While hard candies don’t readily cling to your teeth as much as chewy candy, they still have a downside. Hard candy dissolves very slowly and saturates the mouth for several minutes, which gives bacteria plenty of time to produce harmful acid. And what makes matters worse is that many types of hard candy is made with citric acid.

Another downside to hard candy is the fact it can chip your teeth if you aren’t careful.

Pickles

Acid is critical in the pickling process. It is what gives pickles their unique flavor and it is also what makes them potentially bad for your teeth. Eating excess amounts of pickles has been linked to tooth wear.

Soda

You are probably already aware that soda is not good for your teeth. But what is less known is that the acids found in soda can harm your teeth more than the sugar. So even sugar-free soda poses a viable threat to your teeth.

If you absolutely cannot live without your soda, it is best if you drink it during a meal as the food will help neutralize the acid.

Sports Drinks

An energy drink or sports drink might seem like a good idea after a workout as an alternative to soda, but they won’t do any favors for your teeth either. These types of beverages contain acid as well and therefore can potentially damage your teeth.

Wine

If you are drinking something that will stain your carpet, you can bet it will also stain your teeth. Red wine contains a substance that will discolor your teeth. In addition, tannins in red wine can dry out your mouth and make it sticky which makes the stains worse.

Even white wine can cause staining as it contains an erosive acid that allows stains from other foods to penetrate more deeply.

Crackers

The refined carbohydrates found in many types of crackers convert to sugar in the mouth, providing cavity-forming bacteria. Crackers also turn to paste when you eat them and tend to glob up in between your teeth. So when you are done eating crackers, make sure you floss.

Coffee

If you have ever noticed how coffee stains the inside of your coffee cups, just imagine what it does to your teeth. In fact, coffee stains are more persistent than tobacco stains and are more resistant to toothbrushing.

These are just a few foods and drink you should only enjoy in moderation as they can damage your teeth.

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