26 Oct 2022 It is said that as you sow, so you reap. Hence what you eat affects your teeth leading to a serious oral health issue known as tooth decay. A hard build-up of plaque developed in your mouth which ultimately has a direct effect not just on your oral health but even on your overall health.
The development of plaque in your mouth promotes and contributes to various dental health issues which lead to tooth decay and gum diseases. The tooth enamel is the hardest part of the teeth, and the moment you consume any sugary food items, the sugar causes the bacteria to release the acids that attack directly on the tooth enamel. When the thick layer of bacteria develops on the enamel it eventually brakes down and leads to cavity-prone teeth.
Eventually, cavity-prone teeth lead to several complications including severe pain and chewing problems, and other than that once a cavity develops in the mouth it also gives an awful look to the teeth.
If you don’t follow proper brushing and flossing of your tooth regularly the plaque on your tooth would eventually turn out into hardened tartar. This hardened tartar then develops above your gums which also results in several gum diseases one such disease is gingivitis.
However, to prevent your teeth from getting attacked by plaque-causing bacteria and leading to several painful diseases you should eventually follow brushing your teeth twice and flossing them regularly. Visiting the dentist regularly and following the recommended habits would help you to maintain a healthy set of teeth and good oral hygiene too. Besides following good dental habits and visiting a dentist regularly one should also avoid consuming certain food items that lead to cavity-prone and tooth decay.
Here I have listed 8 junk food items that one should avoid to achieve a healthy smile and good oral health.
- Candies and Toffies:
It is nothing new that the consumption of too many candies and toffies leads to tooth decay. By chewing these sugary toffies and candies, they tend to stick on the teeth for a longer period, and thus the teeth become more prone to cavities and cause severe decaying.
Instead, if you have a sweet tooth and you crave more sweet and sugary candies and toffies you should immediately wash your mouth as this would further help in preventing the growth of bacteria and germs inside your mouth.
- Bread
Yes, bread now you might think how the consumption of bread can cause tooth decay. Think twice the next time before you consume the bread, because when you chew bread it mixes up with the saliva and that leads to the breaking down of the starch into sugar.
When you chew your bread it develops into a gummy and chewy paste inside your mouth that sticks up in between your teeth gaps and thus leads to cavities.
If you are craving some carbs then you should aim of consuming less- refined varieties that consist of whole wheat. The consumption of these slices of bread is much healthier as they contain less amount of sugar.
- Alcohol
The consumption of alcohol is not at all healthy and it is not something new. It is a fact that consuming alcohol leads to drying out your mouth. This dry mouth lacks saliva that helps to lift your teeth’s health by keeping them healthy.
The saliva in your mouth helps in preventing the tooth from sticking and it even washes out the food particles away. Thus this even helps in the prevention of tooth decay and keeps gums diseases away.
Even for keeping your oral health in check, you need to consume plenty of water to keep your mouth hydrated.
- Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapes, and lemons as the name suggest are rich in vitamin C. The amount of acid present in them can easily lead to spoiling your tooth’s enamel which makes your teeth more exposed to decay.
Hence it is very important to keep a watch on the amount of citrus fruit intake in your diet.
- Potato Chips
Potato chips are always a delicious snack option and many of us love to consume them and it is satisfying for our taste buds. Though these chips might be tasty and delicious for our taste buds they contain a lot of starch in them.
The presence of this starch becomes sugar and then gets trapped in between the teeth and leading to a film of bacteria around the teeth.
- Too much coffee consumption is not good
Coffee is a natural drink and is a healthy beverage choice. This healthy beverage becomes unhealthy as many people can’t resist adding a particular amount of sugar to this drink. This caffeinated drink also leads to a dry mouth.
Even the frequent consumption of this drink can also lead to staining of the teeth. Hence even if you consume coffee you should develop a habit of consuming plenty of water in order to maintain good tooth health.
- Replace soda with water
When you consume any kind of sugary foods or carbonated drinks it directly affects the enamel as they contain a high amount of sugar in them. Consuming soft carbonated drinks develop plaque in the teeth that directly attacks the enamel and thus leads to bad oral health.
- Avoid consuming sticky foods
When you think of consuming something healthy the first thing which appears in your mind in are dried fruits. These dry fruits too can lead to the destruction of the teeth and thus leads to tooth decay. These sticky foods stick to your mouth for a longer period of and hence even if you consume these dry fruits as your snacks make sure to consume water and brush and floss your teeth carefully, to avoid tooth decay.
Hence if you want to avoid tooth decaying you must follow certain rules and avoid junk foods to keep your oral health at a good place.