This week we want to let you know which foods are most harmful to oral health. Not only in terms of teeth staining, but also in terms of health, foods that in the long run can cause serious health problems. Spoilers, some will blow your mind!

But first we are going to talk about “good” foods for our oral health.

1. Milk and derivatives: Yes, these were easy to guess. Dairy products are rich in calcium and are therefore very beneficial for teeth, which are made mainly of calcium. But if we had a ranking, cheese would be number 1, since it is the one that has the greatest capacity to balance the pH and as such, it has the ability to strengthen the enamel and at the same time prevent cavities.
2. Apples, celery or carrots: All three have two things in common, they are vegetables and they are consistent. This allows them to eliminate bacterial plaque, tartar, and food remains that may have remained between the teeth when chewed.
3. Strawberries: Many times we have told you how important it is to avoid foods with very extravagant colors to keep teeth white, but the case of strawberries is completely the opposite. Strawberries are rich in xylitol , also known as malic acid, a compound that whitens teeth, in addition to eliminating bacteria and preventing tartar. If you look at some chewing gums, they put Xylitol, precisely to do this function.
4. Foods with fiber : if you have read the post “The secrets of cavities” , you will know that cavities are caused by acid (not by sugar directly as is believed). Legumes and whole grains help produce saliva and this balances/neutralizes the acid produced by food.
5. Water: closely linked to the above. Water has the ability to neutralize acidity and pH, which will help us prevent these acids that cause the famous cavities.

Well, let's get to the bad guys in the movie:

• Cariogenic foods: to be clearer, those that cause cavities. Here sugar has a very important role, since sugar itself does not cause cavities, but when it comes into contact with the bacteria in our mouth, they produce the acid that causes cavities.
• Dehydrated fruits: just because a food is healthy does not mean it is good for your teeth. Mainly, they are foods with a lot of fiber (which normally stay between the teeth) and with a fairly high concentration of sugar. Wow, clearly, we are leaving traces of food highly concentrated in sugar between our teeth. An explosive combination for the creation of acid and, therefore, the appearance of cavities.
• Sugary drinks: it is not necessary to insist much more to understand that these drinks have a high sugar content and that this produces acid and cavities.
• Foods with a lot of color: here what worries us is the ability to stain the enamel. Let's go through the list:
• Tea
• Coffee
• Red wine
• Alcoholic beverages
• fruit juices
• Tomato, soy, or curry sauces
• Chocolate
• Potato chips: if cavities could talk they would say this is their favorite dish. Basically, because they are carbohydrates refined with starch, a substance that the bacteria that produce the famous acid love. And by the way, when saliva synthesizes carbohydrates, they become sugars, more “gasoline” for cavities.

Finally, the foods that are on the red line. They are foods that can be good if we eat them in the right way.

• Acidic foods: especially fruits. These contain high contents of vitamins that are very necessary for our body. But acid is not good for our mouth, since it would reduce the pH of our mouth, leaving a more acidic climate. It is important to eat fruits accompanied by something else, or simply drink water to neutralize the pH.
• Nuts: these have the particularity that they contain calcium and fluoride (excellent for maintaining healthy and strong teeth). The danger here is that more than one person has had to go to the dental clinic for trying to open them with their teeth.
• Black and red tea: they have a lot of fluoride (strengthens enamel) and polyphenols, which fight bacteria. Despite this, its colors can stain our teeth.

In short, eating a balanced and healthy diet for your teeth is quite similar. As has been said in recent years, it is very important to reduce the amount of sugar we eat directly and indirectly. After all, it is the main cause of the appearance of dental cavities and problems as serious as diabetes.

Knowledge is power