New Year’s Resolutions to Help Your Teeth … and Your Waistline: Part Two
Last month we focused on several items that could be reduced or eliminated in your diet to help with both weight loss and tooth preservation. These included sugary beverages, hard foods, like hard candy and throat lozenges with sugar, as well as acidic beverages, like orange juice.
This month we will suggest several other foods and beverages to avoid, or eat sparingly, to help both your waistline and your teeth.
We mentioned hard candy last month, but sticky foods and extra chewy candies can also take a toll on your teeth. Part of the reason why they are bad for your teeth is that you chew sticky and extra-chewy candies for a longer period of time. This allows the bacteria in our mouths to burn sugar and make acid which erodes the protective layer of our tooth enamel and causes cavities.1
A lot of sticky and extra chewy candies, like jellybeans and gum drops and sour candies also contain acid, which is especially harmful to teeth. Dried fruits, such as those in that healthy snack of trail mix, are also in this category. If you do consume sticky foods or extra chewy candies, make sure you drink water after your snack and brush and floss your teeth.2
Another food that Americans love is potato chips. They consume an average of about six pounds of potato chips per person each year.3 Not only are potato chips usually loaded with salt, which isn’t good for you in large quantities, but they are also a starchy food. When you chew chips your saliva breaks down the starches into sugar.4
That sugar binds to and get trapped between your teeth. Like potato chips, bread, too, is a starchy food that has a tendency to gum up and linger in the crevices between your teeth. Again, it is good to drink water after eating any starchy food. Swapping out whole wheat bread for regular white bread will reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet.
It is worth mentioning again that any food or beverage that is high in sugar is harmful to your teeth. It may surprise you that many sports drinks, which purport to be healthy for athletes, are loaded with sugar. A 32-oz. sports drink contains less sugar than soda, but it is still a significant amount of sugar – equal to about 14 to 19 teaspoons – and four to six times the recommended daily amount for kids and teenagers.5
Many mixed drinks can also contain high amounts of sugar, and the mixes used in a mixed drink are often acidic. The USDA National Nutrient Database states that for every ounce of soda, tonic water or juice, there is approximately 4 grams, or a teaspoon, of sugar.6 That means that on average the margarita, pina colada or daiquiri you consumed last evening packed 30 grams of sugar per serving.
Being aware of these foods and beverages that aren’t good for your teeth goes a long way in protecting your teeth. The effects these foods and beverages have on your teeth can be moderated by drinking water after you consume them. Proper oral hygiene can also serve as an important tool in fighting tooth decay from foods and beverages. That includes brushing for two minutes twice daily, flossing your teeth each day, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Your smile is important, and it begins with a healthy mouth and teeth. Our Walled Lake Dental Office has a staff that is committed to helping patients achieve and maintain long-term oral health. Dr. Hechtman has over 40 years’ experience and makes continuing education a priority keeping him current with the newest techniques in dental care.
Offering the latest technology in modern dentistry, our dental services include general and restorative dentistry, dental treatments, cosmetic dentistry as well as children’s dentistry, meeting the smile needs of the entire family. Call our office today for a Free Dental Consultation!
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1 Best and Worst Foods for Your Teeth, www.healthline.com, by Amanda Gardner, 9/23/2019
Link: https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20687551,00.html
2 Top 9 Foods That Damage Your Teeth, American Dental Association, www.mouthhealty.org
Link: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/nutrition/food-tips/9-Foods-That-Damage-Your-Teeth
3 USA Huge Potato Chips Consumption Potential, 1-24-2017
Link: https://www.potatoprocess.com/usa-huge-potato-chips-consumption-potential/
4 The 8 Worst Foods for Your Teeth
Link: https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/worst-foods-for-your-teeth#1
5 Sugar in Sports Drinks, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, by Vanessa Curtis, MD
Link: https://uichildrens.org/health-library/sugar-sports-drinks
6 Hidden Sugar in Alcoholic Beverages You Love, by Shannan Bergtholdt, 12/18/2018
Link: https://www.livestrong.com/article/464744-sugar-content-in-alcoholic-beverages/