Dirty Mouth: 5 Foods to Stay Away From for Oral Health

Does your mouth still feel dirty even after you brushed your teeth? Do you still have bad breath? [...]

Does your mouth still feel dirty even after you brushed your teeth? Do you still have bad breath? Maybe you should consider what you're eating. First, you should consider how much you snack. It's easy to snack all day rather than to just eat your regular three main meals, but this might actually be harmful. By snacking all day, the food stays on your teeth and is harder to remove. You should also stay away from certain foods or eat less of them, so you can get rid of that bad breath. Here are 5 foods you should stay away from to improve your oral health.

pretty woman smiling with white teeth

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Sugary foods: The sugar within food allows the bacteria in your mouth to produce acid that damages your teeth. This can lead to tooth decay. You should cut out or reduce the amount of honey, glucose and molasses from your diet to prevent excess acid. (via Best Health)

Acidic foods: Over time, acid can eat away at your tooth enamel which can lead to a loss of minerals in your teeth. Foods that are high in acid are tomatoes, citrus fruits, pickles, red wine and pop. If you do tend to eat a lot of acid, try drinking water or chewing sugarless gum to wash the acid away. (via Best Health)

>> Read More: The Acid Truth: Our Modern Diet Can Pose A Risk to Your Teeth

Foods in low nutritional value: Your immune system needs a balance of minerals and vitamins to fight off infection. If you eat a lot of foods that are low in nutritional value, your mouth becomes more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease. (via Best Health)

Supersized foods: Foods that are more than four centimeters in height may be too large for your jaw. With so many fast food restaurants selling supersized foods, more people have been injuring their jaw. The most common injury is temporomandibular joint dysfunction, which causes facial pain and problems opening your mouth. So, be careful the next time you order a large hamburger! (via Best Health)

Sticky foods: The annoying little sticky bits of some foods can stay on your teeth longer and cause decay. You should avoid toffee and sugary gum. If you eat sticky food as part of a meal, the extra saliva helps to wash it away. (via Best Health)

fruit gummies

Here are additional guidelines you can follow to prevent a dirty mouth: (via Colgate)

  • Limit your snacking
  • Limit the amount of soft drinks or any drink that contains sugar
  • Avoid hard candies and mints
  • Limit very acidic foods
  • Brush your teeth after eating and after drinking sugary drinks
  • Chew sugarless gum

>> Read More: Oral Hygiene and Your Health

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