Bayshore NY Dentist on Dietary No-Nos
Many of the suggestions your Bayshore NY dentist can give you about preserving your teeth are the same ones you have always heard. Make sure to brush and floss twice daily, drink plenty of water, avoid certain foods and drinks in excess…the list goes on. You know that typically sugars increase your chances for cavities, certain liquids dry your mouth out- reducing saliva production and that hard substances can crack the teeth or wear on the enamel. Well, today we have gathered information on a few foods you may not have ever heard used in the same sentence as “foods that are not mouth friendly,” and why.
You go to make yourself a bagged lunch for work in the morning…and you are almost out of everything in the refrigerator, so settle for a good olde’ PB & J. You take a nice spread of each, put it on opposing sides of the bread, smack it together and “wah-lah.” Elementary, but it will do. While you may think the peanut butter and jelly as the sugary wrongdoers in this scenario, the detrimental effects of the bread you use can go overlooked. White bread is composed of starches that break down to become sugars as soon as you start eating them. Not to mention, the texture of the bread makes it easily stuck between teeth and in other hard to reach places. If not cleaned out properly, this, of course, can lead to one of the problems listed earlier that no one desires: sugars leading to cavities.
Another food that seems “innocent” on the surface is dried fruit, such as prunes, raisins, apricots and more. The texture, much like bread, allows for these fruits to get stuck between the teeth and not easy to remove. Their ability to give off natural sugars and stick to the teeth allows for enamel eroding bacteria to form and be a cause for concern.
Lastly, though we need water to survive and keep the mouth healthy too, in its frozen form it can be hazardous to the teeth. Ice keeps our beverages cool, but chomping down at the end of your drink is not cool or recommended. It can be deceiving how hard ice actually is, but trying to bite down has and will lead to chipped teeth, damaged enamel and can even loosen dental appliances or restorations.
Though some of the overall choices above may seem like perfectly innocent and/or good for you foods, if not paired with a regular oral health regimen or “used” improperly, they can lead to some ill-effects on the teeth.
If you have questions about these dietary decisions or wish to make an appointment with your Bayshore NY dentist for any other reason, please call (631) 665-8484 today!
