There are a lot of factors that impact your oral health. One of the most crucial of them is your nutrition. Indeed, proper oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups help maintain good oral health. However, it is impossible to be healthy if you eat junk food and drink gallons of soda water. In this article, we gathered nine worst foods and drinks for your oral health.

1. Soda water

Sweet soda water tends to be one of the most harmful drinks. It is full of sugar and acids that can easily damage your teeth. Acids soften your tooth enamel and sugar nourishes the bacteria that also eat away the enamel. As a result, you may have a thin tooth enamel with cavities. If you feel thirsty, try to replace soda water with plain or at least sparkling water. 

2. Hard candies

Like any sweets, hard candies contain a lot of sugar. However, they are much more dangerous because they can easily scratch your tooth enamel. Moreover, if you prefer to gnaw hard candies, you may break your tooth. Teeth fractures are extremely painful and require immediate medical attention. 

3. Cookies

It seems that cookies are much safer than other sweets because they contain less sugar and are soft. The reality is that cookies require a lot of salivae to be chewed and you may notice that after eating cookies, your mouth becomes dry. You should know that saliva helps to remove food particles and dental plaque from your mouth. The accumulation of these substances may contribute to tooth decay and gum inflammation. 

4. Citrus juices

Citrus juices can significantly affect your tooth enamel. All citrus fruits contain a lot of acids. If you drink citrus juice, the concentration of these acids increases significantly. As a result, your tooth enamel becomes softer. It is also important to know that you shouldn’t brush your teeth after consuming citrus fruits because you can scratch the enamel. In order to remove acids from your mouth, it is better to drink water or to use a mouthwash. 

5. Soft meal

People who always consume a soft meal usually have weak gums. As a result, their teeth may become loose and even fall out. If you don’t want to regularly visit the dental implant specialist, you should eat more crunchy foods. When you eat solid foods, you strengthen your gums. Moreover, eating crunchy nuts and vegetables helps remove dental plaque and stains from your teeth.

6. Black coffee

Black coffee can not only stain your teeth but also cause a lot of unpleasant things. For example, it decreases the salvation that is essential for good oral health. As mentioned above, saliva prevents mouth dryness and washes away food debris that may stick between your teeth. Black coffee also removes calcium from your body. As a result, your teeth and boned become more vulnerable. 

7. Dried fruits

Many people think that dried fruits are harmless and you can eat pounds of them. The reality is that dries fruits have a high concentration of sugar. Due to their sticky structure, they easily attach to your teeth and become a perfect environment for harmful bacteria.

8. Wine

Wine tends to be one of the most contradictory items in this list. Red wine has a lot of beneficial properties but it is quite harmful to your teeth. Firstly, red wine is full of tannins (polyphenols) that can make you smile purple. Secondly, all kinds of wine are acidic. Taking into account this fact, red wine is more harmful because of both tannins and acidity. Moreover, soften tooth enamel more actively accumulates tannins.

9. Tomato sauces

If you are fond of pasta with tomato sauce, it would be an unpleasant discovery for you. Tomato sauces are also harmful to your teeth since they contain sugar, pigments, and acids. Such a dangerous mixture can significantly spoil your oral health. If you want to avoid this, replace tomato sauces with hard cheese or other sauces.