Five Foods Your Teeth Don’t Want You to Eat

Most of us know all too well the devastating impact sugar can have on our health. Although these dangers are nothing new, dentists are as keen as ever to warn against eating too many enamel enemies.

Sugar is a real baddie because it causes the bacteria in our mouths to release nasty plaque acids that erode our tooth enamel. When tooth enamel becomes thinner, it can’t be regenerated, so we’re more at risk of icky infections. Here are five foods to avoid if you want to keep your tooth enamel good and strong:

Cakes

Sadly, some of the nation’s favourite foods and drinks are overflowing with sugar and cakes are no exception. These indulgent treats are the bees knees, but if you’ve ever baked one yourself or been brave enough to read the nutrition label on a shop bought slice, you’ll know exactly how much sugar goes into these decadent delights.

Crisps

Although a savoury snack, crisps are full of starchy carbs that eventually convert into sugar. Crisps can also get wedged in the cracks between our teeth and this makes plaque formation more likely.

 Chewy sweets

Chewy sweets are not just full of sugar, they also get stuck in the pits and grooves of our teeth, letting pesky plaque reign ruin over our mouths.

 Sports drinks

Sports drinks are often marketed as healthy, but your teeth wouldn’t agree. Many of them have as much sugar in them as fizzy soft drinks and this doesn’t just increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. It’s also linked with a higher risk of serious health complications like diabetes.

 Wine

A popular after-work tipple, wine also spells bad news for our teeth. This alcoholic beverage is very acidic, which means it has the power to erode enamel something rotten. It’s also a big tooth stainer – and that’s white wine as well as red!