You may eat some of these foods every day never suspecting them to harm your teeth severely. What should you be afraid of, if you are trying hard to protect your tooth enamel and dental fillings from destruction? How do you reduce the harm that some products cause?
Lemon
All sour fruit (lemons, oranges, grapefruits) are harmful to teeth. More than 10 years ago, scientists proved their negative effect on tooth enamel. Nevertheless, abandoning these products once and for all would be an insanity: they have so many vitamins! Seeking a compromise, we eat everything sour and then try to brush our teeth. However, we never do this right away. We tend to wait for 20 minutes, otherwise the acids will “corrode” the enamel).
Toffees
Everything tasty and malleable (toffees, caramels, lollipops, sweet chewing gums) that stays in the mouth for a long time and can stick to the teeth, gives the Streptococcus mutans bacteria enough time to turn sugar into acid, which first destroys the tooth enamel and then gets to the tooth substance. Where do the scenes of funny kids receiving a bright lollipop for their obedience in the dentist’s office come from? These permitted candies include xylitol, a natural sugar substitute, which is recommended even for people with diabetes. It does not put our teeth at risk.
Fizzy water
Nobody recommends to drink soda, but dentists shout the loudest in this case: not only does it contain sugar, but lemon acid is also often added to drinks. We already know that this is not the best friend of the tooth enamel.
Sports drinks
Many consider sports drinks to be a synonym for healthy lifestyle. Athletes are said to always take care of their nutrition. Yet, we have just the case when there is no point in using liquid without increased physical exertion. Such drinks often contain sugar, which forces you to drink more, recover the lost energy faster, and save the body from dehydration. They are advised to be taken 20 minutes before and during the exercise. Even though such a sweet attack on the body is still understandable in sports (by the way, sports drinks are recommended to be drunk as soon as possible, without holding them in the mouth), no justification has been found for those who do this for no reason.
Salted crackers and pretzels
They are loved by many. However, despite the love for the “delicacy”, it is advisable to refrain from eating them frequently: huge pieces of salt on the cookies scratch the enamel and often get stuck between the teeth, causing inflammation.
Popcorn
The ready-made popcorn sold in the store is especially dangerous: it often contains overcooked pieces of corn that are practically not chewable. Do you want to test your jaw? Get ready to say goodbye to fillings or even pieces of your teeth.
