Your diet has a bigger impact on your oral health than you may realize. And there are problems lurking in foods that you may not expect. The team at Fuller Dental, a cosmetic dentist in Burlington, NC lets you know what foods to watch out for.

1. Hard Candy

You may already know that chewy candy can get stuck in your teeth. But hard candy isn’t a good solution to replace it. While it doesn’t get stuck, hard candy releases sugar into your mouth the entire time it dissolves. Harmful oral bacteria use it for food and then emit an acidic byproduct. This wears through your enamel and causes problems like dental cavities.

Hard candy can also cause you to need restorative dentistry services. If you bite down before the candy has dissolved enough, or even at the wrong angle, it can damage your tooth. If you’re lucky, it’ll be a cosmetic chip or break. But it can also cause a severe break or a cracked tooth that will need to be fixed as soon as possible.

2. Dried Fruit

While fruit is usually a quality option to appease your sweet tooth, you should stick to the fresh kind. When fruit is dried, it takes on a similar sticky texture to that of chewy candy. It also becomes more concentrated with sugar and can lose nutrients throughout the drying process. This makes it just as dangerous as eating candy.

3. Sports Drinks

These are usually an option as a workout drink or because people think they’re healthier than soda or energy drinks. But when you look at the labels, you’ll notice they contain just as much — if not more — sugar than those beverages. Many are also flavored with citric acid, which causes your enamel to wear away. Mixing high sugar content with citric acid makes a recipe for tooth problems.

4. Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea aren’t terrible on their own in moderation. But many of the coffee and tea beverages we get today are loaded with sugars and syrups. It’s also important that these drinks are always consumed in moderation, as they’re acidic as well. Having a longtime coffee or tea habit can cause staining on your teeth because they’re dark beverages, leading to a need for teeth whitening down the road.

5. Ice

Water is one of the best things you can have for your oral health when it’s in liquid form. But ice is another story. A consistent habit of chewing on ice causes more wear and tear on your teeth. Ice also comes with the same issues as hard candy. If you bite down on it at the wrong angle, you risk cracking or chipping a tooth.

Visit Your Cosmetic Dentist in Burlington, North Carolina

Keeping up with preventative care and regular dental visits can ensure your diet isn’t ruining your smile. Call us or schedule an appointment online!