For years, our parents have been telling us not to rot our teeth with sugary candy and soda. By now, you already know to avoid chocolate if you feel a tooth ache coming on, but how much do you really know about those pearly whites?
While sugary candy may very well be the culprit behind your latest cavity, there are a number of perfectly healthy foods that could also be causing your teeth pain.
While speaking with Health.com, New York City-based cosmetic dentist Marc Lowenberg, DDS, revealed a few more surprising foods that can cause your teeth pain.
If you’ve been feeling constant tooth aches, these shocking foods may be the problem:
- Dried Fruit: While some fresh fruit might be rough on your teeth, water-packed produce—like delicious apples and juicy pears—can actually strengthen your choppers. Dried fruit, on the other hand, is never a good idea. Packed with non-cellulose fiber, dried fruit essentially traps sugar on (and around) each tooth in the same way that gummy candy does. Do yourself a big favor and brush your teeth and floss after eating dried fruit!
- Cold-Pressed Juices: Although these healthy juices are loaded with vital nutrients to help you feel fit and strong, they’re still extremely high in sugar. According to Lowenberg, you could basically bathe your teeth in chocolate and it would be the same as drinking a juice. Since these high-sugar juices can wear down the enamel on your teeth, always sip through a straw and wait at least 45 minutes after drinking to brush your teeth.
- White Wine: If you’re drinking white wine solely because red wine stains your teeth, stop! While this light wine might not stain your teeth, per se, the acid in it will eat away at your enamel, leaving your teeth vulnerable to stains caused by other food and drinks. Lowenberg says one easy way to avoid this problem is to eat some calcium-rich cheese with your wine to buffer the acid.
- Barbecue Sauce: You may not realize it, but most barbecue sauces are full of unhealthy sugars that can rot your teeth if left on for too long. To prevent any discoloration and decay, try coating your teeth with just a thin layer of petroleum jelly before your next barbecue or brush your teeth after eating.
Which of these foods surprises you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Photo Copyright © 2009 Rupert Taylor-Price/Flickr
