Food, glorious food! Not only can we not live without it, but we can enjoy all manner of textures and densities thanks to our teeth. Whether our snack is crisp, crunchy, or chewy, our teeth help us grind it down into manageable chunks and ensure our body doesn’t go without. Your dentist even enjoys their share of treating themselves, but they’d like to warn you about certain groups…

Our food choices, when not moderated, could actually be harming our teeth more than we think. Even healthy, fresh foods can dull our teeth despite our best intentions. You may be surprised about the foods your dentist would like to warn you about.

Coffee and tea

Are both culprits that affect most of us. According to a recent survey, us Brits are now drinking 95 million cups of coffee a day! Tea has taken a backseat, but it still remains popular and very widely drank. Your Viva Dental dentist definitely wants to warn you about their ability to stain your teeth. They can also upset the pH balance in your mouth, making other acidic foods you consume afterwards more dangerous to your teeth. A way to minimise these affects is to drink from a to-go cup, but you still risk heavy staining if you indulge too much.

Wine

This can, unfortunately, stain your teeth. Both red and white wine have been found to be the culprits of this because of their acidic concentration. It has even been suggested that the lighter the wine, the darker the stains on your teeth. The acid in your drink with dinner creates holes in the enamel, leaving little exposed pockets of the yellow dentin beneath for the staining to cling to.

Citrus fruit

These can be packed with Vitamin C and good for our health, but the acid in them could be eroding your enamel. Your teeth can look discoloured, stained, and dull should you consume too much citrus fruit because it wears away at the enamel to reveal the yellow dentin beneath the superficial layer. Watching your orange and lemon intake could be beneficial if you’re starting to notice a change in your smile!

Blueberries

Another assailant in disguise that your dentist definitely wants you to know about. They’re rich in antioxidants and great for a healthy diet, but they can stain your teeth. They may be a superfood, but they are high in pigmentation and natural acids that can wear down the protective enamel of your smile.

Sweets and sugars

These are every dentist’s first warnings to their patients, young or old. High concentrations of sugar in foods like chocolate, sweets, and fizzy drinks or cordial can all promote tooth decay. The sugars in these treats latch onto our teeth and attract bacteria to feast on them, which then release acids that bore into our enamel and cause decay. Cut down on sweet drinks and limit your sugary snacks and you could get a lot more life out of your teeth than you expected!

However, we don’t want you to take all the fun out of your diet. There are some great-tasting and healthy foods that are surprisingly beneficial to your teeth. Strawberries and other fruits that contain malic acid can naturally whiten your teeth without penetrating the protective enamel, having the opposite effect of citrus fruit. Cheese can also promote your dental health and help you fight cavities. Research has suggested that eating cheese can lead to higher pH levels in the mouth, lessening the effect of acids consumed afterwards.

Your dentist at Viva Dental, Lancaster doesn’t want you to chop and change your entire diet. Still enjoy the foods you do, have a glass of wine, and treat yourself to some sweets, but in moderation. It’s always best to be aware of how our diet affects our teeth but keeping it balanced and enjoyable is the best way, forwards.

 Book with our Carnforth dentists

Of course, if you feel you would benefit from teeth whitening or professional cleaning, we would be more than happy to see you.