The old saying "you are what you eat" is true to a great extent. Most people assume that sugar is the only consumable they should avoid if they do not want to develop dental cavities. Many foods, not just candies, have a high sugar content. You would be surprised to learn that most of the foods you consume daily contain hidden, cavity-causing components. Knowing the foods that cause cavities can help you lower your cavity risk.
What are the leading cavity-causing foods?
Foods like simple carbs (fermentable carbohydrates), highly acidic foods, natural sugars, and liquids like sodas, fruit juice, and alcoholic beverages are some of the leading causes of tooth decay. Carbs feed dental plaque. Every time you eat certain carbs, they create sugar byproducts and additional acids, enhancing plaque buildup. A great alternative to simple carbs is complex carbs like whole grains.
We are not saying you should never consume any foods mentioned in this article. Some of these foods are good for your health. You only need to consume the foods in moderation to avoid tooth decay. In addition, ensure that you maintain proper dental hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth after eating. Below are the leading cavity-causing foods:
Sugary Foods
Consuming foods with a high sugar content can damage your teeth and adversely affect your overall health. Your dentist has probably told you about the harmful effects of sugar on your teeth and gums. Your mouth contains good and bad bacteria. When the harmful bacteria come into contact with sugar, they break it down, producing acids that erode the tooth enamel. The bacteria generate more acids every time you consume high-sugar foods.
Your saliva serves as a powerful defense against tooth decay. It washes sugar out of your mouth to the stomach, reduces the impact of acids on the teeth, fights harmful bacteria, and reverses the early stages of cavities by repairing your tooth mineral. However, when you consume high amounts of sugar, the acid will be more than the saliva can handle. When acid comes into contact with your tooth enamel, it causes mineral loss.
Sugar Causes Plaque Formation
The mouth contains two types of harmful bacteria:
- Streptococcus mutans and
- Streptococcus sobrinus.
These bacteria thrive on sugar, leading to plaque formation. If plaque remains on your teeth too long, it turns acidic, eroding the enamel.
In addition to producing enamel-eroding acids, sugary food increases the risk of gum disease or gingivitis. Gum disease affects your gums, making them recede from your teeth. Severe gum disease could lead to tooth loss.
Many foodstuffs contain sugars, some of which you cannot think about. Natural foods like fruits, honey, and vegetables, and processed foods like cakes and brownies can contain harmful solid sugar. Foods with white processed sugars are especially harmful because they form a thin film on your teeth that your saliva cannot wash off. The only way to remove this film is by brushing, flossing, or professional dental cleaning. You should consume sugary foods in moderation and avoid sugary snacks.
Acidic Foods
Most people enjoy eating fruits because they are sweet and juicy and can be a good source of vitamin C. However, since fruits and fruit drinks tend to be very acidic, eating highly acidic foods and beverages regularly could destroy teeth if proper aftercare is not taken. Consuming acidic fruits and other foods can cause the tooth enamel to erode, resulting in dental erosion and sensitive teeth. You can continue to reap the benefits of nutritious foods you like, provided you are conscious of acid's impact on your teeth.
The pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14, gauges a substance's acidity or alkalinity levels. You can test the pH balance of foods, fluids, and saliva. Acidic substances have a pH below 7, while alkaline substances have a pH over 7. While not consuming food or beverages, your saliva should be in the 6.5 to 7.5 pH range. This range is ideal for reducing acid erosion and tooth decay.
Foods high in acid can trigger decay, sensitivity, and discoloration. That is why they should be used in moderation. Below are some particularly acidic foods and beverages:
- Citrus fruits — Limes, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits, and oranges.
- Other fruits high in acid — Are peaches, grapes, apples, pomegranates, pineapples, and blueberries.
- Fruit juices and regular and diet sodas.
- Tomato juice and tomatoes.
- Jellies and jams.
- Sauerkraut.
- Vinegar.
Even if dental enamel is extremely hard, the high acidity of many foods and beverages can weaken it, making it demineralize over time. The calcium in your saliva helps strengthen enamel. However, remineralization occurs if the environment in your mouth is excessively acidic, leading to tooth degradation and decay.
You should consume a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables to acquire adequate vitamin C. Take care to prevent acidic food from causing tooth damage. Brush and floss your teeth regularly, eat more non-acidic foods, and minimize your intake of acidic foods and beverages. Visit your dentist regularly to discuss your enamel and ways to keep your smile healthy.
Sticky Foods
A diverse spectrum of bacteria naturally inhabits the mouth. These bacteria are not harmful under normal conditions. However, when sugary drinks or food particles attach to the teeth or are trapped between them, the bacteria feed on them and multiply. They also produce extremely acidic waste products that accumulate on tooth surfaces and erode at the enamel, resulting in dental decay and cavities.
Sticky foods are especially detrimental because they adhere to teeth and are hard to remove. Brushing and flossing after eating sticky foods can help reduce your odds of developing tooth decay.
Your dentist can advise which foods to avoid to keep your teeth healthy. Some of the foods to avoid are:
- Caramels.
- Taffy.
- Dried fruits.
- Gummy candies.
Certain candies could also raise your blood sugar levels, offering food for bacteria. Sugar promotes bacteria growth, resulting in a higher level of waste that forms plaque and tartar, ultimately eating through your tooth enamel.
Although developments in dentistry have made it easy to restore or replace decayed teeth, it is best to avoid tooth decay in the first place. Maintain good oral hygiene, consult your dentist regularly, and limit sugary, sticky meals to keep the teeth strong.
Starchy Foods
Refined carbohydrates, like white bread or white rice, and certain starchy foods, like potato chips, could lead to poor oral health. Like sugars, bacteria in the mouth quickly ferment sugars in carb sources, including white bread and chips, producing enamel-eroding acid. A high intake of these foods has been linked to an elevated risk of tooth decay. Consuming processed, starchy foods between meals increases the risk of cavities.
Starchy foods can amplify sugar's cavity-causing properties. Starches are sticky, which prolongs the time sugar stays on the teeth and creates an acidic environment in your mouth. Substituting processed starchy foods like white bread and potato chips with whole vegetables and fruits improves oral health.
Potatoes, pasta, rice, and white bread are starchy and sticky foods that stick to the teeth, providing an energy source for harmful bacteria. Therefore, they are not a good food choice for your teeth. Soon after eating, your saliva begins converting carbs to sugars. Some people wrongly believe that starchy foods that do not taste sweet are excellent for oral health. The popularity of low-carb diets raised awareness of the consequences of starches, particularly processed carbs.
Reserve sticky foods for mealtimes only, and wash your teeth afterward. Ensure you floss daily to help reduce the amount of starch accumulating on and between the teeth. Take clear water with and between your meals to help rinse your mouth and keep you hydrated.
Hard Foods Like Ice Cubes
Water is beneficial to your oral health, but ice can be dangerous. Biting into hard items, such as ice, raises your chances of fracturing or chipping a tooth. A cracked or chipped tooth provides a pathway for bacteria to penetrate a tooth, leading to tooth decay. Additionally, you risk damaging or losing a filling or other dental restorations. Most people find that if the water has ice, they are more likely to drink it. Just be careful not to chew or bite down on the ice cubes.
Avoid eating any hard items, like hard candies or toffee, in addition to ice. Also, be cautious when eating soft foods containing pits, like olives or cherries. Even if you buy pitted fruits, the food processing equipment can miss some.
Carbonated Beverages
Carbonated drinks, including sparkling water, can cause tooth damage even if they are low in sugar and acids. Carbonation is caused by carbon dioxide. A reaction in the mouth converts carbon dioxide into carbonic acid, which is acidic. This acid erodes and weakens the enamel of your teeth.
Even though sparkling water is less acidic than fruit juices or sodas, it is nonetheless harmful. Some individuals like to add a piece of citrus fruit to sparkling water, such as lemons, oranges, and limes. Although this is a low-sugar, low-calorie beverage, the citrus increases the acidity of sparkling water, making it harmful to your teeth.
Consuming sugary drinks like soda harms your teeth more than sugary solid foods. In addition to having a high sugar content, most drinks contain acids that are harmful to the teeth. The sugars in soda mix with the bacteria in your mouth to form acid. This acid and the acid present in soft drinks attack, demineralize, and weaken your teeth.
Consider swapping to still water or sipping carbonated beverages through a straw. Limit yourself to just one glass of sparkling water before switching to still water. Some people believe sparkling water or white wine spritzers are healthier than pure wine or cocktails at parties. Even if this is true, it is best to snack on low-acid foods like nuts, avocados, crudites, or cheese.
Making certain lifestyle choices is beneficial to oral health. With the proper practices, you can enjoy some of these harmful foods for teeth while minimizing the adverse effects.
Sports drinks have a high sugar content as well. Sports drinks could be beneficial during high-intensity physical activity. However, their regular intake is discouraged due to the numerous adverse effects resulting from high sugar levels. Before buying these drinks, read the labels to ensure they have a low sugar content.
Foods Rich In Caffeine
Overconsumption of beverages, including coffee and tea, could jeopardize dental health. The added sugars in these drinks increase your risk of dental cavities. They also cause dryness in the oral cavity. This results in a decrease in saliva production, causing a condition called xerostomia.
Xerostomia causes a decrease in the salivary flow. Saliva is vital in sustaining a normal oral pH by neutralizing the acids that result from acidic or sugary foods, which helps to minimize demineralization. Overconsumption of tea or coffee can also cause tooth staining. It is strongly advised to drink plenty of water after you drink coffee or tea to counteract their adverse effects.
What You Can Do To Prevent Tooth Decay
Besides brushing and flossing regularly, you can use several other scientifically supported strategies to maintain your dental health.
- Avoid snacking regularly — One of the most protective forces for your teeth is saliva, which assists in flushing away lingering food particles. It remineralizes, strengthens your tooth enamel, and contains bicarbonate, which aids in acid neutralization in your mouth.
- Limit your alcohol consumption — Heavy drinkers should exercise caution as well because alcohol can inhibit normal salivation, making it more difficult for your body to clean up debris clinging to the teeth.
- Be aware of any medical conditions or prescription drug side effects — Various treatments, medical conditions, and medications, like tuberculosis, dialysis, chemotherapy, blood pressure medications, and antihistamines, can inhibit or alter saliva production. Those affected should, therefore, be diligent in adhering to proper oral hygiene.
- Go for sugar substitutes — Switching from sugary drinks and snacks to sugar-free alternatives is smart for your teeth.
- Chewing sugar-free xylitol gum — Similarly, "antimicrobial sugar alcohols like xylitol" slow down acid production by mouth bacteria.
- Consume certain types of tea — Black and green teas, which contain fluoride and have higher pH levels, could help prevent tooth decay.
- Regular checkups — The leading non-communicable disease in the world is tooth decay. Routine dental examinations every six months are sufficient to detect decay before it becomes severe.
Find An Experienced Dental Expert Near Me
Maintaining a healthy mouth entails eating moderately from all food groups. A healthy diet entails what you eat and when you eat it. When you eat too frequently, your enamel does not have time to repair itself. Try eating only at meal times and avoiding snacking throughout the day. For more information on cavity-causing foods, contact the Lasting Impressions Dental Spa. Call us at 818-751-5100 to speak to one of our experts.
