Tooth and gum health is essential for more than appearance. Your mouth takes part in some of the most vital functions necessary for life. You need your mouth to eat and drink and breathe; if you lack healthy teeth and gums, these daily activities become unpleasant or even painful.
Unfortunately, oral health problems are surprisingly common. According to the CDC, 26% of adults have untreated tooth decay. A shocking 46% have some form of gum disease, and one of every 10 adults has a severe gum condition.
Proper oral care and regular dental checkups are necessary to avoid these issues. In addition to flossing and brushing and occasional professional cleaning, you should pay attention to how your lifestyle affects your mouth health. Certain foods and beverages can worsen existing oral health issues and cause problems for people whose teeth and gums are otherwise healthy.
Here are foods that can damage tooth and gum health as well as alternatives that can actually promote a healthy mouth.
What are the worst foods for teeth and gums?
Certain foods can cause cosmetic issues, such as staining your teeth. For example, over time, coffee, tea and red wine can cause your bright white color to fade. The same issue could occur if you often eat berries, tomatoes, beets or foods with colorful spices, like turmeric.
Other foods will not necessarily stain your teeth but could cause more significant damage, leading to long-term pain and an increased risk for gum disease. The American Dental Association (ADA) says that sugars, acidic foods and carbohydrates can cause problems with enamel and lead to tooth decay. Other foods may damage the surface and structure of the tooth because of their hard texture.
Sugary foods
The ADA blames sugar for a majority of cavities (“caries,” in medical terms). However, the process is more complex than you might think. Sugars get fermented by the natural bacteria in your mouth, creating an acidic environment that wears away the minerals that make up your teeth. Free sugars like sucrose, glucose and fructose are common culprits, but the process can also occur with natural sugars from honey, natural syrups or fruits.
Sugar is a common ingredient in many food favorites, from breakfast cereals to candy to soft drinks. Many people add it to unsweetened beverages like coffee and tea. Even if you’re not consciously adding sugar to your diet, it’s already there in many of the foods you consume.
Sticky and acidic snacks
Acidic foods pose a different problem for oral health. A layer of enamel covers your teeth. This hard, transparent substance protects the middle layer (dentin) and inside (pulp), allowing you to chew and drink cold or hot liquids without pain.
Acidic foods can erode the enamel layer. The dentin portion of the tooth does not have nerves, but it can transmit sensations to the nerves located in the interior pulp. If the enamel erodes due to excessive consumption of acidic food, you may experience pain when chewing, or sensitivity to hot or cold substances.
Enamel erosion can also speed up tooth decay by eliminating a layer of protection between the fermented sugars and the tooth.
The ADA suggests eating acidic foods, like tomatoes and citrus fruits, as part of a meal to limit the eroding effects. Soft drinks and fruit juices can also cause acidic conditions in your mouth. On the other hand, dairy foods can help neutralize these acids, so you can end your meal with milk, cheese or yogurt to reduce acidity.
Sticky foods and gummy candy can cause problems with both acidity and cavities because they stick to your teeth. This continues the fermentation and erosion processes until you brush or rinse them away. If you aren’t careful, these sticky foods could remain on your teeth for days, doing damage.
Hard candies and crunchy foods
Some crunchy foods, such as hard vegetables like carrots, are good for teeth. When you chew them, they scrape plaque and other substances off your teeth. However, hard candies and other crunchy foods, like granola bars, can damage teeth in two ways.
Firstly, hard candy and crunchy snack foods often contain free sugars, which can create bacterial interactions that cause cavities. Secondly, these foods can damage teeth by chipping them or scraping away enamel if you chew too aggressively.
In addition to the cosmetic issues of having a chipped tooth, you could also have an increased risk of infection. You could develop sensitivities because the enamel is no longer protecting that portion of the tooth. Dentists can add a crown or filling to fix this problem.
What are the best foods for teeth and gums?
While sugars and acidic foods harm teeth and gums, others contain beneficial substances, like calcium and vitamin D, which strengthen teeth and promote gum health.
These foods can also offer additional benefits, such as neutralizing acids and naturally cleaning and rinsing teeth to remove plaque and unwanted biofilm. The right nutrients also ensure proper saliva production, which naturally cleans your mouth, and reduces inflammation, which can cause gum disease.
Dairy products
Milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products contain concentrated amounts of calcium and phosphates. Calcium is essential for bone health, and it can even help restore teeth with damaged enamel.
Also, dairy products help neutralize acids and sugars from other foods. A glass of milk or a piece of cheese at the end of a meal can have a positive effect on your oral health. Of course, sweetened yogurt and chocolate milk, while still containing calcium, also have sugars that could negate the positive effects.
Whole grains
Whole grains are preferable to refined grains for oral health. The sugars in refined grains break down quickly and can cause tooth decay. Since whole grains are slower to break down, they pass through the mouth before releasing their sugars.
Also, whole grains provide general health benefits. They contain more vitamins and minerals because they have not gone through the refining process. You also get more dietary fiber with whole grains. Fiber promotes digestive health by removing waste throughout the digestive tract, and it helps regulate blood sugar.
Fruits and vegetables
Like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are nutrient-rich foods with beneficial vitamins and minerals.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, fibrous fruits and vegetables like apples, celery and carrots positively impact saliva production. Saliva naturally cleanses your mouth and removes unwanted acids.
Some foods, such as blueberries and ginger, have strong antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. They help remove unwanted bacteria from your mouth, while also reducing inflammation in your gums.
How to practice good oral hygiene
Good oral health can affect the rest of your body. If you develop gum disease, for example, the infection could eventually spread elsewhere, causing issues in the kidneys, stomach or respiratory system.
Also, if your body is constantly fighting off gum infections or other oral health issues, it could keep your immune system from properly responding to other illnesses.
Along with a proper diet, consistent cleaning at home and by a professional can help your mouth remain healthy.
Brush and floss
The Mayo Clinic recommends brushing twice per day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily. You can also use mouthwash to rinse away bacteria and food particles after brushing and flossing.
Though there is some disagreement among researchers, data from six different dental studies found that an oral care regimen including flossing reduced cavities by an average of 40%.
A dental cleaning will not only ensure your mouth is clean, but it will also give the dentists a chance to assess your brushing technique and provide insights into any areas you might be missing.
Rinse with mouthwash
Mouthwash can wash away food debris and reach areas of your mouth inaccessible by a toothbrush. Bacteria in the back of your mouth is a common cause of bad breath, so mouthwash can bring cosmetic benefits as well as assist with oral health.
The ADA certifies products with proven effectiveness, for products that reduce bacteria and bad breath and those that offer therapeutic benefits, such as plaque reduction.
Visit the dentist regularly
Visiting a nearby dentist for a regular exam is essential. With early detection, you can treat cavities, gum disease or other issues easily before they become chronic or lead to health problems in other parts of your body.