Those of us who brush and floss our teeth on a daily basis and make regular bi-annual dental appointments are likely always looking for ways to keep our smiles clean and healthy. However, while those steps are certainly effective, that is only one part of the story. As you may have guessed, the other half is diet. Most of us are aware that food and beverages with high sugar content can easily lead to tooth decay, but did you know that there are a variety of other foods that can be just as bad? Even worse, you could already be eating some of these foods without having any idea what the consequences may be. To help ensure that this does not happen to you, here is a brief list with insight on how your diet could be ruining your smile.
Coffee
Make no mistake, there are benefits to drinking coffee. For one, as most of us know, coffee is a great way to escape from the morning grog that plagues us when we wake up. It is also high in antioxidants and can reduce the risk of contracting caner, Type 2 diabetes, and even Parkinson’s. However, regularly consuming coffee can have detrimental effects on your teeth. This is especially true of black coffee, which runs contrary to what some people profess. Fortunately, these effects can be mitigated by diluting the coffee with ice or milk, and using a straw to drink it.
Curry
Who would have thought, right? Curry is fundamentally delicious, reduces inflammation, helps with digestion, and can guard against degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and specific forms of cancer. Despite all this, curry can severely stain the teeth. Fortunately, these effects can be minimized by eating curry as little as possible and cleaning your teeth within half an hour of indulging.
Lemons
What’s not to love about lemons? They have relatively little calories, are high in both fiber and vitamin C and taste delicious! However, lemons are also highly acidic, meaning they can erode tooth enamel like nobody’s business. For this reason, it is important to minimize contact between your teeth and anything containing concentrated amounts of lemons. However, like coffee, the effects of lemons can be reduced via dilution. More often than not, diluting with water works the best: simply grab a glass full of water, squeeze a little lemon on it and enjoy!
