The well known adage that “what you don’t know can’t hurt you” doesn’t apply to all things and especially not when it comes to your health. If you believe that you’ve been vigilant about taking good care of your own teeth and seeing to it that your children follow suit, there are some things that may surprise you about the foods that you’ve been eating.
We’ve been inundated with information about the damage that sugar can do to our teeth so we are careful to limit our intake, but you should also be mindful about the amount of citrus fruit that you put in your mouth. Orange juice for instance, is a good source of vitamin C but too much exposure to its acidic content can harm your tooth enamel. There are a couple of things that you can do to decrease the risk however.
When you finish your morning glass of juice take the time to rinse with plain water. Wait a half hour or so before brushing since your tooth enamel will have softened from the acidity and need time to rejuvenate.
Be careful eating nuts. Almonds have a particular hard outer coating so that you risk cracking a tooth when you bite into them. Instead of the whole nut opt for slivered almonds that are especially nice in salads and on fish.
Dr. Looze likes to focus on patient education. The website www.soluthlandsdental.com includes a page devoted to the explanation of dental terminology for the benefit of our patients. Call the Southlands Dental office @ 720-886-0606.
Leave a Comment