Foods That Cause Harm to Your Teeth

Post by: Gerarda on 02 Sep 2021

Hard candy
Constant exposure to sugar can be harmful to your teeth. Hard candies also put your teeth at risk because in addition to being full of sugar, they can also cause a broken or chipped tooth.

Ice is for chilling
While it might be nice to crunch, ice is for chilling not for chewing. Chewing on ice can cause a broken or chipped tooth.

Citrus intake to a minimum
Frequent exposure to acidic foods like lemons, grapefruit and oranges can erode enamel. Make sure you rinse with plenty of water.

Coffee
Coffee and tea can be healthy beverage choices; unfortunately, though too many people add sugar and some add lots of sugar. Too many coffees and teas may also stain your teeth. Have a glass of water with your coffee and try to keep the sugar to a minimum.

Things that go “crunch”
I love the salty, crunchy feeling of potato chips. Unfortunately, potato chips are pure starch, which tends to get trapped in your teeth. Brush extra carefully after enjoying that delectable delight.

Switch soda for water
When you eat sugary foods or sip sugary drinks, plaque bacteria use that sugar to produce acids that attack your enamel, the hard surface of your tooth. Most carbonated soft drinks, including diet soda, are acidic and therefore, bad for your teeth. If you do consume soft drinks, try to drink water as well.

Sports drinks
Many sports and energy drinks list sugar as the top ingredient. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, while sports drinks can be helpful for young athletes engaged in prolonged, vigorous physical activities, in most cases they are unnecessary. Before your next sip, check the label to make sure your drink of choice is low in sugar. Not sure? Drink water instead!

Make an appointment with your dentist for a check-up / dental examination to see that those pearly whites remain intact.

1. Broken front teeth from diving into a pool or from falling down
Remember while it might be irritating and unattractive, a broken tooth is usually not life-threatening. Depending on how much of your tooth is broken and the angle it is broken at, the treatment could range from doing a composite repair for a chipped tooth to doing a root canal treatment and a crown if the tooth is broken off at the margin of the gum. If the tooth is chipped then schedule an appointment at your convenience; if however, the tooth has broken off or you have pain then see a dentist immediately.

2. Tooth pain
Usually a dental emergency will have a degree of pain attached. It just depends on the level of pain and the kind of pain how your dentist deals with it. If it is sensitive to both cold and hot temperatures, chances are it is a grinding problem. If it is only sensitive to cold, many times, but not always, it could be a nerve problem. It could be that the nerve has been irritated and is crying out for attention. If that is the case you need to call your dentist immediately. It doesn´t get better by itself. If it hurts when you bite down, it could be a broken tooth, it could also mean that you have been grinding your teeth or it could be a sign that you have an abscess. Either way, you need to have it treated by a dentist.

3. You´ve knocked out your tooth
If for whatever reason your tooth gets knocked out, put it back in. Yes put it back in the socket. And hold it there until you see a dentist. Make sure though when you pick it up you only touch the crown of the tooth, the part that is used to chew and not the root. Also important is to put it back in the correct position. If there is any debris on the tooth when you pick it up rinse it in a cup of lukewarm tap water for no more than 10 seconds. Any longer than that can kill the cells on the root surface that help reattach it. If you are looking at your tooth between your fingers then most probably you´re in shock, but if you want to save the tooth then you have to remain calm and think. If you can´t put it back correctly, then put it in a glass of milk. If milk is not an option, then put it in your mouth between the cheek and the gum to keep it moist. Do not swallow it as you only have about 2 hours for it to be reimplanted correctly. The sooner the better, otherwise, the likelihood of success becomes less. You need to make a very quick trip to a dentist.

For most dental emergencies you need to go to a dental clinic not a hospital. Hospitals rarely have a dental department and if they do it is even rarer that there would be someone on call. A doctor in an emergency room can only give you pain medication or antibiotics. In some cases, they will schedule an x-ray or scan depending on the severity of the trauma. They will still suggest you see your dentist.