We have a very good understanding of what is bad for our teeth – sweet foods, like chocolate, lollies, cakes and everything else that tastes so great, is packed with enough sugar to cause serious damage to teeth.
But there are some foods that you might not know have similarly aggressive effects on your teeth that you might enjoy just as much as sweets and coffee. We outline 4 in this blog for you, to help you keep an eye out for them.
Pickles
Pickles appear to be a relatively harmless food – they’re typically low in energy and high in fibre. The acid content of pickles is rarely considered, though. The brine necessary to pickle cucumbers is extremely high in acid because of vinegar which will attack tooth enamel very aggressively. This is the same for any pickled foods, so it’s important to recognise the impact vinegar can have on teeth.
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is another seemingly innocuous food product, with its healthy fats and high protein content. The problem in this instance is that many commercial peanut butters have added sugar to increase palatability of peanut butter. Because peanut butter is so sticky, it can very easily get stuck in between your teeth, and the sugars will very quickly eat away at your teeth. A good solution in this case is to find a peanut butter brand that is natural or has a low sugar content.
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is an excellent alternative to lollies and chocolate for a sweet fix because of the excellent fibre and vitamin content. Despite these boons, the extremely high sugar content of dried fruit can still have the exact same result on your teeth as manufactured sweets. As with anything high in sugar, it’s important to remember to not go too crazy when eating dried fruit!
Almonds
Almonds are another touted super food that can have an unexpected impact on your teeth. Because almonds are so hard, applying enough pressure to break them apart with your teeth can, in fact, break your own teeth. The density of almonds can potentially fracture a tooth if the tooth undergoes regular pressure (such as regular almond eating), so it pays to be careful.
If you’re a super fan of any of these foods and haven’t had a check-up for a while, it’s worth seeing an experienced dentist. At Bay Street Dental Group, our cosmetic dentists are always ready to help remedy the damage caused by your favourite foods. Just give us a call for teeth whitening in Melbourne.
