Central Maryland Cosmetic Dental Blog

4/17/2018 1 Comment

Foods That Cause Tooth Decay

When it comes to tooth decay, it’s important to know the main culprit – acid. Acid is what eats away at our enamel and causes cavities.

Acid can enter our mouths in one of two ways: either directly through what we eat (citrus fruits, for example), or as a byproduct when oral bacteria consume the sugars that we eat.

Ultimately, a simple way to identify foods that cause tooth decay is to ask whether it’s acidic or sweet/starchy.

Acidic foods include things like citrus fruits, tomatoes, vinegar, kombucha and sour candy.

Sweet/starchy foods include things like candy, soda or sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit, bread, cereal, pasta and crackers.

The longer these things interact with your teeth, the greater the chance for tooth decay to occur.

For example, sipping on soda throughout the day, or chewing a gooey caramel treat, increases the amount of sugar that coat your teeth. Bacteria love to feast on this sugar, creating an acidic environment and putting your teeth at risk for decay.

To help protect your teeth against tooth decay:

Reduce your consumption of sweets and refined starches
Enjoy acidic foods in moderation or as part of a meal
Decrease or eliminate your consumption of soda or sugar-sweetened beverages
Swish with water after meals and snacks
Maintain good oral hygiene to brush away plaque buildup (floss at least once a day and brush twice a day)

And, as always, make sure to visit us regularly so we can remove tartar buildup and assess for early signs of decay. We recommend visiting Bupperts Doran's Chance Farm, http://www.bupperts.com/ for your healthy eating needs.

1 Comment

Harbor Smiles link

11/2/2021 09:34:23 pm

Thank you for this educational blog post! Tooth decay is caused by bacteria that dwell in your mouth and create acid that erodes your teeth's enamel.

Several of the most common causes of tooth decay include the following:
- Sugary foods and beverages
- Smoking
- Bacteria from uncooked food
- Poor oral hygiene practices
- Vitamin C and D deficiency

A person experiencing toothache may be unaware that it is actually an inflammation of the tooth's nerve caused by decay or infection. Bacteria can infiltrate and create an infection on or around the nerve tissue when it is exposed to degradation. Root canal therapy is frequently used to treat teeth that have one or more cavities, as well as those that have an unclear source of pain. It is a surgery that involves removing the nerve and pulp of an inflammatory or infected tooth and cleaning and filling the interior of the tooth.