What you eat affects your dental health. The food you eat plays a big role in how healthy your teeth are, and your oral health plays a big role in your overall health. Likewise, there are certain foods that can damage your oral health and make your teeth more susceptible to dental diseases. Here is a list of foods that can harm your oral health.

• Acidic Foods

Acidic foods and drinks can wear away the enamel on your teeth. At first, this can cause tooth sensitivity. But constant exposure to acid can eventually wear away the enamel. Once the enamel is gone, the dentin is exposed. This layer of the tooth is much more sensitive and vulnerable to staining.

• Sugary Foods

Sugary foods and drinks are one of the worst things you can consume for your oral health. They cause cavities and gum disease and increase your risk of oral cancer. Sugary foods and drinks contain high levels of sugar, which is food for bacteria. The more sugar there is, the more bacteria will feed on the sugar and cause decay.

• Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is a healthy alternative to candy and other sweets and is a great snack. However, dried fruit has a high sugar content that can cause cavities. These sticky foods can easily get stuck in between the teeth and in hard-to-reach places, increasing the risk for cavities.

• Hard Candy

Hard candy is one of the worst foods for your oral health. Hard candy is incredibly hard. Biting into hard candy puts excess stress on your enamel, which can lead to chips and cracks in your teeth. Hard candy can also get stuck in your teeth. This can lead to the development of cavities. Hard candy is also loaded with sugar. Sugar feeds the bacteria in your mouth, causing tooth decay. To avoid developing cavities, limit your consumption of hard candy.

• Alcohol

Alcohol is a known risk factor for oral cancer. It’s most often seen in people who drink to excess, but occasional drinkers are also at risk. Drinking alcohol can also lead to tooth decay and cavities. This is because alcohol is acidic, and drinking it leads to demineralization of the teeth.

• Coffee and Tea

Although coffee and tea are beloved beverages that can be enjoyed without guilt, they contain tannins that can leave stains on your teeth. Tannins are what cause coffee and tea to become darker in color as they cool. Over time, these tannins can stain your teeth.

Tea and coffee also contain caffeine, which can dry out your mouth. Saliva is necessary to keep your mouth clean by washing away plaque-causing bacteria. Without enough saliva, your mouth becomes vulnerable to cavities.

• Sticky Foods

Sticky foods can easily get stuck between your teeth and gums, which can cause bad breath, gum disease, and cavities. Avoid foods like caramel, taffy, chewy candies, and dried fruits in order to protect your smile.

• Chewy Foods

Although chewy foods are delicious, they do no favors for your teeth. The gum and jaw muscles have to work hard to chew these foods. The constant motion can wear down tooth enamel over time, leading to cavities. Plus, chewy foods can get lodged between your teeth, leading to plaque buildup and cavities.

At Midtown Dental, we provide tips and solutions that will improve your oral health while transforming smiles. Visit our office, Midtown Dental, at 750 George Washington Way, Richland, WA, Suite 1 99352. You can also reach us at (509) 946-1678.