Do you know that tooth decay leading to cavities is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the world? The World Health Organization noted in their 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study that oral diseases like cavities affected almost half of the world’s population.
Moreover, when it comes to global incidence, cavities rank as the most prevalent of all conditions evaluated. In fact, the agency estimated that 2.4 billion individuals have developed tooth decay or cavities of their permanent teeth, while some 486 million children have developed cavities/tooth decay of the primary teeth. That’s a pretty sobering finding to be sure, considering that cavities lead not only to constant bouts of toothaches, but also to tooth damage and loss, as well as other serious oral conditions like periodontal disease, which attacks the gums.
The fact that cavities are so common also means that they’re quite easy to acquire. Chances are, you’ve already had them more than once in the past. However, it’s also quite easy to protect yourself against dental caries. Simply brush your teeth after every meal, floss every day, visit your dentist in Anaheim or in your local area every six months, and limit your intake of food items that make you prone to cavities. In this short guide, we’ll fill you in on some of the foods you need to careful of if you want to avoid developing tooth decay and cavities.
Bread
Bread may be a quintessential lunch staple, especially when it comes to making scrumptious sandwiches, but eating bread can also lead to cavities if you’re not careful. That is because bread is made mainly of starchy white flour, a simple carbohydrate that can easily break down into simple sugars—the favorite food of plaque bacteria. As you chew bread, it turns into a gummy paste that can then get stuck in all the nooks and crannies of your teeth, creating an ideal environment for the growth of plaque bacteria that synthesize acidic by-products. Over many months, these substances can wear away the enamel of your teeth, eventually creating the telltale holes that characterize dental cavities. If you really can’t stop eating bread, stick to the whole wheat variety, and be sure to brush and floss after every meal.
Chewy sour-flavored candies
Everybody loves candy, but even as kids, we are taught that too much could give us cavities. However, there’s one type of candy in particular that really increases the chances of tooth decay, and that’s the chewy, sour-flavored sort. This type of candy contains the kind of acids that can really have a corrosive effect on your teeth enamel. The fact that they’re chewy also results in them sticking in the corners, sides, and gaps between your teeth, making them harder to brush off. All this can eventually result in a bad case of tooth decay.
Soda pop or carbonated drinks
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the occasional glass of soda pop or carbonated drink, but you should know that sugary, fizzy drinks are also among the biggest culprits of tooth decay. This is because the ingredients in many types of soda encourage the bacteria in plaque to produce more acidic substances. As you may know, these acidic by-products are strong enough to slowly eat away at the enamel of your teeth, thus causing cavities eventually. To prevent this, skip sodas entirely or clean your teeth right away after enjoying the occasional glass of your favorite soft drink.
Potato chips
There’s nothing like snacking on potato chips. Not only are they tasty, but they also give you a delightfully satisfying crunch that just makes you reach for more. Unfortunately, they’re also known to cause tooth decay due to their starch content, which breaks down into simple sugars when exposed to saliva. Then, as with the pasty material that results from chewing bread, this sugary substance can stick to the crannies and gaps between the teeth, enabling plaque bacteria to feed on them and cause cavities to form in the long run.
Dried fruits
Dried fruit products may seem like a very healthy snack. While they do have many of the same vitamins and minerals that their fresh counterparts do, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re processed and still loaded with sugar. The drying process also makes dried fruit chewy and sticky, and just like many types of candies, once it’s chewed up, it’s likely to stick in the small spaces between your teeth, creating an ideal environment for plaque bacteria to proliferate in.
Ice
Finally, if you’ve got a habit of chewing the ice that usually comes along with your chilled drinks, you might want to stop doing that. While it’s true that ice doesn’t have any sugar in it, it is a hard enough that regularly chewing it can cause your teeth to chip, crack, break, or loosen. Chewing ice when you already have cavities may also cause your teeth to split where the cavities are.
Protect your smile by preventing cavities
Cavities may seem like a normal part of growing up, but you shouldn’t have to deal with the pain, the tooth damage, and the gum disease that they usually come as a package. By brushing your teeth, flossing regularly, visiting your dentist twice a year, and avoiding the above-listed foods, you can enjoy a life free of dental cavities.
This is a guest post by Dr. Douglas Kim of First Dental Care, a trusted dentist in Anaheim and surrounding areas. Dr. Kim believes that good oral health starts at home, that’s why he is committed to teaching parents on how to properly care for their kids’ teeth in between office visits. Outside of the office, Dr. Kim enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and their 2 adorable sons.
This is a collaborative guest post that may or may not reflect the ideas or views of Mommy Ramblings.
