Dental care goes through good oral hygiene, but also plaque content. We evaluate with a specialist.
“Don’t eat too many sweets or you’ll get cavities.” The warning has been around since childhood, and the adults who gave it were right. But it’s not just sweets that are bad for our dental health. Elodie Terrer, a dental surgeon and infectious disease researcher (1), compiles a blacklist of foods and drinks that are the enemy of teeth.
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Cut enamel
For the well-being of our teeth, we should be careful of fruit juices, carbonated drinks, processed foods, cakes, but also refined grains. Under the question mark? The sugars they contain. “They actually hide almost everywhere,” continues the dentist, “we find them in white flour, for example in pasta or bread.”
If sugars should be kept away from our teeth (and our health in general), it’s because our mouths contain bacteria that feed on them. “During this, they produce acids that then gradually dissolve the enamel crystals,” explains Dr. Elodie Terrer. Therefore, the underlying dentin is no longer protected and is more prone to bacteria and caries.”
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Acidic drinks are also harmful. Among them, surprisingly, we find carbonated soft drinks (carbonated water is not a concern because it does not contain sugar and its gas does not harm the teeth) or even energy drinks. “In addition to added sugar, they contain citric acid and phosphoric acid, which will dissolve enamel, cause erosion and lead to possible tooth decay or pain,” the dentist notes. Acidity is also found in food. Citrus fruits such as lemons or oranges also interfere.
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Drinks that reduce saliva flow also damage our teeth. “Alcohol, especially white wine, causes dehydration. However, saliva plays a protective role for teeth because it helps to get rid of bad bacteria,” warns Elodie Terrer.
Damage Avoidance Solutions
It is important to note that eating these foods from time to time will not make your teeth lose their luster. The danger is there especially if a person is a big consumer, either in quantity, or in regularity, or if he bites. “Since we don’t brush our teeth after a snack in the afternoon, the food stays in contact with the enamel much longer and damages it,” explains the specialist.
For perfectly healthy teeth, the doctor suddenly advises to “limit the consumption of disturbing foods”. Ideally, you should also brush your teeth 15 minutes after eating harmful foods and do so without flossing. If you don’t have a toothbrush nearby, rinsing can be an alternative to cleaning the enamel,” says the dentist.
Another solution. Choose foods that counterbalance the ill effects of others. “Consumption of dairy products, such as cheese, provides the calcium needed for healthy teeth.” If you don’t use them, the calcium in almonds can be a good alternative. Dark chocolate “with its content in tannins will have an antioxidant effect and will protect the teeth a little”, adds the specialist. In general, remember that vegetables rich in fiber and minerals have a protective effect. Finally, none of this is a substitute for an annual checkup with the dentist. Here’s something to smile about.
(1) Elodie Terrer is also a university professor and hospital doctor of odontology.
Source: Le Figaro
