Practicing proper preventative care is one of the best ways to prevent many common oral emergencies. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily strengthens your smile by removing plaque and bacteria that contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. This helps you resist chips, cracks, and other injuries that could harm your dental well-being.
Another great way to safeguard your smile is to steer clear of foods that are infamous for causing problems. Continue reading to learn about three options to avoid to keep your grin happy and healthy!
Common Culprit #1: Hard Candy
Eating lollipops and jolly ranchers might make your sweet tooth happy, but they are also likely to harm your dental health! Their pleasant flavor comes from their sugar content, which often comprises 98% or more of their listed ingredients. That means they’ll attract germs that cause cavities, weakening your smile. To make matters worse, you could crack your teeth biting into them.
Limiting your candy consumption is a great way to preserve your grin, but if you have difficulty resisting sweet treats, why not opt for dark chocolate instead? It’s full of antioxidants to support your body and melts in your mouth, so it’s less risky for your teeth.
Common Culprit #2: Coffee
If you’re like nearly 50% of the American population, you look forward to having at least one cup of coffee to help you wake up and get moving. This beverage is so popular that an estimated 150 million citizens consume around 400 million cups daily. Although it’s a great way to boost your energy, it can also, unfortunately, hurt your smile. First of all, coffee is acidic and can wear down your enamel, increasing the risk of sustaining injuries or developing tooth decay.
Furthermore, it also contains tannins, which are natural chemical compounds found in certain plants that give them their bitter flavor. These tiny, darkly pigmented particles can cling to plaque on your teeth, leaving your once pearly whites looking more yellow or brown. To mitigate this effect, try brushing and flossing 30 minutes before your first cup so there’s less buildup to discolor.
Common Culprit #3: Popcorn
Whether you’re enjoying the latest blockbuster hit at the movie theater or are attending an outdoor fall festival with family or friends, the scent of this salty snack is likely to fill your nostrils. Popcorn is popular with children and adults alike because of its light, crispy texture that can be flavored any way you prefer.
However, many patients have ended up in the dentist’s chair after fracturing a tooth by unwittingly chomping into a seed that hadn’t fully popped. Plus, the thin kernels are notorious for slipping between your teeth or under your gums, irritating your tender tissues until you or your dentist can successfully remove them.
Now that you know a few risky foods, you can make menu choices that support your grin instead of harming it!
About the Practice
At Dr. George Salem and Associates, PC, you benefit from a team of dentists with 40+ years of combined experience helping patients build happy, healthy smiles. With several specialists on staff, there’s no issue too simple or complex for them to handle. They combine a reliable and honest approach with state-of-the-art technology to provide individualized treatment plans to meet your unique needs. If you have chipped or cracked a tooth, you can request an emergency appointment on the website or by calling (781) 843-0660.