What foods should you remove from your diet? Although we often ask ourselves this question to improve our physical health, many people fail to take into consideration which foods can have devastating consequences on our oral health as well. No matter what we eat or drink, it is always important to brush twice daily and floss daily to protect ourselves. However, some foods can harm our mouths long before we have a chance to battle back, so it’s important to prevent them from ever touching our mouths at all.

Here are some simple guidelines to follow when deciding which foods to avoid to protect your oral health:

Sugary Sweets: Sugar is used by bad bacteria in our mouths and converted into acids which can eat away at our tooth enamel. Foods packed with sugar include candy, soft drinks, juices, cookies, cakes, sport drinks, and various snacks.

Acidic Foods: Many types of sour candy have a pH level comparable to battery acid, so avoidance of them is a must. In addition, even some healthy foods can be extremely acidic, such as lemons and oranges, so be sure to eat them with meals to dilute the acids in them.

Sticky or Hard Snacks: Sticky candy such as taffy or gummies, along with hard candy such as candy canes and lollipops can damage our teeth or can be difficult to remove via daily cleaning habits. Other easily stuck foods in our mouths include popcorn, various meat products, caramels, peanut butter, and jelly.

Fermentable carbohydrates: Fermentable carbohydrates are carbs that be broken down in our mouths into acids that can eat away at our tooth enamel. These include nearly all types of sugar such as high fructose corn syrup as well as starchy items such as donuts and white bread.

Don’t let bad habits ruin your smile. If you need an oral exam or professional cleaning at Morristown & Summit Prosthodontics or would like book an appointment with Dr. Madalina Iorgulescu, call us at 908-273-0884, to schedule a visit to our office in Summit, New Jersey. We look forward to making your smile the best it can be!