It is essential to understand that the foods and drinks you consume daily have a great impact on the condition of your teeth and gums. That’s why it is extremely important to avoid or at least limit the consumption of foods and beverages that damage your teeth. 

Even though the best dentist can treat oral issues and help prevent their development, only you can keep your teeth and gums healthy. In this article, we have gathered the top nine foods and drinks that can affect your oral health.

1. Coffee

Many people tend to start their day with a cup of coffee and have coffee breaks throughout the day. But you should know that the increased consumption of coffee can significantly worsen the condition of your teeth and gums. This is because coffee is an acidic drink and these acids soften and wear out your tooth enamel. Additionally, people who drink a lot of coffee are more prone to dark and stained teeth. 

2. Hard candy

Hard candy is double trouble for your teeth and gums. It is essential to understand that candy consists of sugar and pigments. Sugar promotes bacterial overgrowth that leads to tooth decay, while the pigments can stain your teeth. That’s why it is better to avoid them or at least rinse your mouth after eating candies.  Moreover, you can scratch your tooth enamel, injure your gums, and even break a tooth while chewing hard candy. 

3. Potato chips

If you think that potato chips are only bad for your shape, it’s high time to change your mind. Potatoes contain starch that turns into sugar in your mouth. As mentioned above, sugar promotes the development of tooth decay. Potato chips also tend to get stuck between your teeth. 

4. Ice cubes

Gnawing on ice cubes is a bad habit that can lead to negative consequences. Firstly, you can break a tooth while gnawing an ice cube. Secondly, you can scratch or puncture your gums with a sharp piece of ice. Thirdly, If your teeth are sensitive, they can react with a severe toothache to cold temperature. 

5. Alcohol

Alcohol beverages can be extremely harmful to your teeth. For example, wine contains a lot of acids that wear out your tooth enamel. Pigmented alcohol can stain your teeth and tongue. In general, alcohol tends to decrease salivation which results in bacteria overgrowth, bad breath, and dry mouth. Therefore, you need to stay hydrated and rinse your mouth with plain water while drinking alcohol.

6. Tomato sauces

Even though tomato sauces may not seem harmful to your teeth, their regular consumption still can affect your oral cavity. Tomato sauces usually contain a lot of acids, sugar, and pigments that can have a negative impact on your teeth and gums. That’s why it is recommended to replace them with white sauces or hard cheese. 

7. Sticky sweets

Marmalade, jelly candies, soft biscuits, and other sticky sweets are extremely harmful to your teeth. The point is that they tend to attach to your teeth and gums or get stuck between your teeth. As a result, bacteria in your mouth have a perfect environment to multiply more actively. Increased number of bacteria in your mouth can lead not only to tooth decay but also to gum disease and bad breath. 

8. Sports and energy drinks

Even though sports drinks are deemed healthy, they are usually full of sugar or sweeteners. If you still want to drink them, choose sugarless sports drinks or with minimum sugar content. As for energy drinks, they are extremely harmful since they contain acids and pigments in addition to sugar. 

9. Citrus juices

Indeed, citrus fruits contain a lot of vitamins (especially, vitamin C) that are essential to your overall health. But you should understand that they also contain a lot of acids that soften and eat away your tooth enamel. Moreover, if you tend to drink a lot of citrus juices, these acids wear out your tooth enamel more actively, which can result in increased teeth sensitivity. That’s why it is better to rinse your mouth after drinking them. 

The bottom line

A healthy diet, proper oral hygiene, and regular dental check-ups are the most important parts of proper oral care. If you want to keep your teeth and gums strong and healthy, you need to pay sufficient attention to the foods and drinks you consume since they can significantly worsen the condition of your oral cavity.