For the majority of us, having a good diet and getting regular exercise is key to supporting good health. However, what you put in your mouth may seem good for the rest of your body, but not your teeth. Below we list a few of the worst foods and drinks that you can include in your diet, for your pearly whites.

Jelly Sweets and Sugar

Not only can your body tell the signs of a good or bad diet and lifestyle, but one of the first signs that reflect this is your teeth. There are certain foods and beverages that we may think are good for us, however, they are not so good for our teeth.

Jelly sweets are one of these. Although many online sources advertise “healthy” jelly sweets packed with vitamins and minerals, the truth is, most of them contain high amounts of sugar or sweetener, which, when constantly chewed, can cause plaque and do damage to your teeth and gums.

Even those sour candies that you may be eating once in a while, have various types of acids that can be harmful to your teeth more than you know. Anything that needs constant chewing should be replaced with something that doesn’t. For example chocolates, especially dark chocolates are a lot better for you than these chewies. 

Professional advice from a dentist in Cambridge Ontario is that anytime you have anything with sugar in it, no matter what it is, you should follow up by brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth with oral mouthwash. Also, be aware of sugar and artificial sweeteners added to retail stores' mouthwashes, as these can do more harm than good for your mouth.

Baked Goods

Did you know bread contains sugar? Not directly, but indirectly, when you chew on certain types of bread, the starch in it releases sugar. Breadsticks, for instance, stick to the crevices of your teeth causing them to stick and hard to get out. If you do not brush properly and use floss, it can stay in your teeth and cause cavities. 

The less-refined options of bread, such as wholewheat is a good substitute when craving bread or baked goods. They have less sugar added to them and can easily be broken down and digested.

Most Alcohols and Carbonated Drinks

Even though you may think that if the word “diet” is written on cans of Coke or Pepsi, that it's better for you than the normal versions, you will be sorely mistaken. A study done on carbonated drinks showed that it is as bad for you to have these, as it is taking drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine.

When you drink these types of drinks, they coat your teeth in acid, which can attack the tooth enamel and cause cavities as well as discolouration. Saliva, which is 99% water, is in our mouth for a reason, it acts as a cleaning agent. When you drink gassy drinks it dries your mouth which hinders the function of saliva. 

If you are planning on brushing your teeth after alcohol or canned drinks, do not do it immediately, it is better to wait a while as it could cause an inverse reaction and speed up the process of decay.