What Are the Worst Things for Your Teeth?

We all want perfect, healthy white teeth without any cavities. But aside from sugar, many people don't realize what the most harmful things for your teeth are. The following list reveals what to avoid in order to have great healthy teeth.

1. Wine can stain your teeth. The acids in white wine enable other drinks such as coffee and tea to create greater stains. Of course, red wine is even worse for staining your teeth. To reduce this problem, use a toothpaste with a whitening agent.  

2. Cough medicine contains sugar, and since it's often taken after people brush just before they go to bed, it can cause tooth erosion and decay.

3. While milk is great for bones including your teeth, if you feed your tot the bottle for too long or too often it can cause cavities. This is due to the mouth bacteria reacting with the sugar found in milk. To prevent this, wipe or brush your baby's teeth before bed time, or add a bit of water to the milk.

4. Too much fluoride can result in white spots on your teeth. To avoid this problem, don't use too much toothpaste.

5. Some medications, antibiotics and antihistamines can discolor teeth. Tetracycline can turn teeth yellow in children and cause blue-gray teeth in adults.

6. Lemonade and sports/energy drinks can damage the protective enamel on your teeth.

7. Those who swim very frequently in pools such as professional swimmers may get stained teeth due to chemicals in the water.

8. Foods with a lot of color, such as blueberries, soy sauce, cranberries and cherries can stain your teeth. Always brush shortly after eating these foods.

9. Dark drinks such as coffee, tea, sodas and fruit drinks can stain your teeth. Swish some water around your mouth afterwards, and if possible, use a straw to avoid contact with front teeth.

10. As your enamel wears down with age, your teeth naturally darken. Some of the enamel thickness is also determined by genetics.

11. Physical trauma to teeth can cause discoloration. When a tooth dies it may become discolored.

12. Bad tooth brushing and flossing habits can result in staining and bacteria formation. This bacteria can lead to yellow and green stains. It is suggested that you brush daily, ideally in the morning and just before bed, and when you brush it should be for 3 minutes. Flossing once a day is also recommended.

 

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