A healthy diet is important for your body, but avoiding certain foods could also help you keep your teeth. According to the Huffington Post, several foods should be avoided if you want to limit your time in the dentist’s chair.
Starchy foods such as potato chips, French fries and those donuts that you enjoy at the office could be causing tooth decay. Your dentist will tell you that starchy foods can be stuck in-between your teeth quickly converting to sugars that will erode the enamel on your teeth. If you do eat starchy foods, rinse or brush after enjoying.
Energy drinks may give you that boost you need after a good workout, but the best choice would be a bottle of water for healthy teeth. Carbonated sports drinks are extremely acidic and can be quite thick. This means that sports drinks will stick to your teeth longer than water.
You may think you are doing your body (and your healthy teeth) good with a bag of dried apricots, but the truth of the matter is that dried fruits can be just as bad for your teeth as those caramels or gummy bears that you munched on last night. Even chocolate can affect the way your teeth feel, especially if you are still tasting the chewy toffee that you had on your coffee break. 
When sticky food is stuck in between your teeth your saliva will have a tough time getting to the location in order to remineralize the acid. Bacteria will convert all types of sugar into acid including fruit sugars and refined sugars. Be sure to brush your teeth afterwards if you want to continue eating sticky foods and still maintain healthy teeth.
Foods that are acidic can wreck havoc on healthy teeth. Pickles, tomatoes, fruit juice, lemons, grapefruits, and oranges can raise the levels of acid, which over time; will eat away the enamel on your teeth. Even that glass of wine that you had with dinner last night is highly acidic. According to your dentist, foods that you would not suspect include certain types of fish and breakfast cereals. There are some acidic foods that you need to stay healthy, but moderation is the key if you want healthy teeth.
It is okay to indulge in an occasional burger from your favorite fast food restaurant, but if your diet is based on foods that are poor in nutrition, you could be asking for trouble. Loading up on pizza, hot dogs, fries, and candy will imbalance your immune system making you more susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay.
For healthy teeth, watch what you eat, brush twice and floss once a day, and remember to include regular dental checkups in your routine if you want healthy teeth and gums.
Dr. Michael Layton (DDS) is a dentist based in the South Surrey/White Rock area. With over 10 years of experience in the dental industry and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Washington, Dr. Layton enjoys providing safe and easy dental solutions for every patient that walks through the doors of his practice - and reads his blog. You can follow him on Google+.
