There's one surprising thing that's as bad for your teeth as sugar

Most people are aware that sugar is bad for out teeth, but actually, there are some common foods and drinks that can have just as bad, or even worse effects.

Asidic drinks are considered bad for teeth (Photo: pixabay.com / Reto Gerber)

Since we are little kids, we are constantly reminded not to eat sugar, because it is considered bad for out tooth health if eaten in big quantities. One reason why sugar is bad is that it can promote a group of harmful bacteria in the mouth that produces acid. Now, the enamel of the tooth is really sensitive to acids, which is why it can slowly become softer and thinner due to the acids. This is what we call tooth decay.

Without re-mineralization - meaning the use of special toothpastes that contain minerals such as calcium and fluoride -, the damage done to the enamel can become more and more serious, and eventually, cavities can start to form. But even if you use these kinds of toothpastes, too much acid will still cause your teeth to weaken.

As you might already suspect, not just sugary foods are considered bad for the health of your teeth. If you drink of eat too many things that contain great amounts of acids, then it can also be bad for your teeth. And quite surprisingly, some of these foods and drinks are actually good for your overall health, so you shouldn't avoid them completely.

Citruses and some fruits contain really much acids, which means that they could be more or less harmful for your teeth if you'd eat them on a daily basis in huge quantities. But of course, they are not the worse when it comes to tooth health. Lemonade, which contains sugar as well as the acidic lemon juice, is clearly something that you should limit in your diet.

But lemon is by far not the worst. Sugary, fizzy drinks, such as Cola and some fruit-flavored soft drinks can be real tooth-killers. And just when you think you can make things right with two occasions of brushing, you should know that if you brush your teeth right after you drank something acidic, then it can occasionally do even more damage to your teeth, as the mechanic pressure of brushing will affect the tooth that already encountered the acids. So before brushing your teeth after drinking acidic drinks, it's best to wait 30 minutes. But then it's really the best thing to do to brush your teeth!

Anita D.

November 2019