While vital, taking care of your oral health requires more than just regularly flossing and brushing. The nutrition we feed our body with impacts both our teeth and gum health as well as our body as a whole. While there are certain foods that benefit our oral health, there are opposing foods that introduce bacteria into our mouth that can cause tooth decay, cavities, and even gum disease. Keep reading to learn about the top worst foods that can be damaging to our oral health.

Worst Foods That Can Be Harmful to Oral Health

Acidic, sticky, starchy, and sugary foods and drinks introduce harmful bacterial matter to your mouth that can erode tooth enamel. After time, this plaque build-up can lead to a host of varying oral health issues that can be both painful and detrimental to your bite. To avoid such painful experiences, below we list the top worst foods that are damaging to your teeth and gums:

• Candy: Due to their sticky consistency, sugary candy can stick to your teeth and wreak havoc on the mouth. Sour candy in particular contains much higher acidic levels than their regular candy counterparts, which can be especially harmful to your oral health.
• Carbonated Drinks: Soda or pop can be harmful for your teeth even if you choose sugar-free options! Carbonated beverages contain acids that enable plaque to buildup in your mouth more easily.
• Ice: When used to cool drinks, ice is no problem, however we’re specifically talking about the act of chewing hard ice. The act of crushing hard ice between your teeth can damage enamel which can lead to a chipped, cracked, or an entirely broken tooth.
• Alcohol: Known to decrease saliva production, alcohol has the ability to dry the mouth out which leaves you open to the harmful effects of plaque buildup. 
• Bread & Potato Chips: Starches and carbs left behind from bread and potato chips can easily get stuck between your teeth, which introduces a fresh breeding ground for bacteria in your mouth. 
• Citrus Foods & Drinks: Nutrition that’s high in acidity can rapidly erode your tooth enamel.
• Coffee & Tea: Most coffee and teas can both stain your teeth as well as dry your mouth out, and we’ve already covered how saliva production is essential for a healthy smile. Also make sure to exclude adding sugar to your morning coffee tea!

Keeping your teeth healthy is a commitment, but watching out for and limiting the above foods is completely worth it to avoid painful and debilitating oral health issues. In addition to the listed harmful foods, here are a few general tips to keeping your mouth healthy:

• Floss and brush your teeth soon-after eating any foods that are high in sugar, acids, or carbohydrates.
• Choose healthier food options such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats, or even dark chocolate.
• Drink more water to promote the flow of saliva.
• Visit your dentist for regular checkups.

GumChucks

In addition to avoiding the harmful foods listed above, it’s important to practice affective oral habits to ensure optimal oral health. Flossing is the only way to remove this tartar from between your teeth and keep plaque out of hard-to-reach places. Some modern flossing accessories, GumChucks being the prime example, are specifically designed to accomplish C-Shape flossing. Unlike one-piece flossers that hold the floss in a rigid position, GumChucks’ two-handle device gives you better leverage, letting you control the tension of the floss and allowing you to effectively clean the sides of each tooth. The handles make it easier for everyone to floss, especially those with limited dexterity, with the added bonus of never having to stick your fingers in your mouth!

GumChucks’ design ensures a flossing experience that’s faster, easier, and more effective than competing flossers or traditional floss. Our two handles with disposable floss allow you to comfortably reach all your teeth, even those in the back, while wrapping the floss around each tooth. This creates the vital “C-Shape” necessary to get below the gum line and effectively clean each tooth.