You’ll Want to Brush Your Teeth After Eating These Foods

By now, most people are familiar with how food and drink can impact oral health. There are the common tips and tricks, like limiting your coffee and tea intake to prevent staining and avoiding onions and garlic that can wreck your breath, but it goes far beyond that.

We’re taught from an early age that eating a lot of candy or chocolate and drinking sugary soda and juices can lead to cavities. We learn to either avoid them in excess or be sure to brush your teeth thoroughly after consuming. 

People are often surprised by what foods can actually hurt your teeth besides the normal acidic and sugary goodies. Here are the top five foods you will want to be sure to clean your teeth soon after eating.

Citrus

Fruits such as oranges, lemons, and limes can be great for tasty snacks or juices. In addition, they have several health benefits, including all the Vitamin C they pack. The citric acid in these fruits, however, wears away your tooth enamel which makes your teeth more vulnerable to decay. If you have any sores in your mouth, the acidity can irritate them and slow healing.

Dried Fruits

Whether as part of a trail mix or a standalone treat, dried fruit often ranks high as a healthy alternative for snackers. While this is true, dried varieties of many fruits such as prunes, raisins, or apricots are very sticky. They can get caught in your teeth and will cling to crevices between teeth and gums, leaving behind high levels of sugar.

Potato Chips

Continuing along the line of snacks, many people love grabbing a bag of their favorite chips for a quick snack throughout the day. Chips are loaded with starch, and their crunchy nature means that starch can get trapped just about everywhere in your teeth. This trapped starch breaks down into sugar, and acid production from the chips can linger, both of which are troublesome.

Bread

Bread is another starchy food choice, so be mindful when you’re walking the bakery section of the grocery store. Much like potato chips, the starch from bread breaks down into sugars that can lead to cavities. If you’re shopping for bread, less refined varieties like whole wheat have less added sugar, but you’ll still want to brush your teeth after eating them.

Sour Candies

We already know that all varieties of candy and chocolate can be bad news for your teeth, but sour candies may be one of the worst culprits. They typically have more acids and sugars than normal candy and have the same negative impact as dried fruit. If you have to satisfy your sweet tooth, reach for something easier to wash away or plan to brush quickly.

Got Questions? Give Us a Call!

There are many more foods that can be hurting your oral hygiene more than you previously thought, so it’s always good to pay attention to labels to see what types of starches, sugars, and acids you’re consuming. Plus, don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Our family dentists in Cascade, Coopersville and Wayland can talk with you about your diet and make recommendations on how to maintain your oral health. Give us a call today or contact us online to schedule an appointment.

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This blog post has been updated.