4 Summer Foods and Drinks That Can Wreak Your Teeth

If you are like most people, you associate the lazy days of summer with backyard cookouts, family reunions, and other food-related social gatherings. All of these events can be a lot of fun, and the foods found there can be very tasty.

Unfortunately, some of the foods you may consume may not be the best choices when it comes to your teeth. Here is a list of a few summer foods that can actually wreak havoc on your teeth.

1. Sugary Foods

Summer food is all about fresh fruit cobblers, homemade ice cream, ice-cold sodas, and more. If you go to the fair or an amusement park, you will be surrounded by cotton candy, donuts, fried dough, and many other sticky treats.

Of course, the heat of summer will make you crave some type of soft drink, sports drink, sweet ice tea, juice, or more. The hotter it gets the more you will probably want to drink.

All of these things have one thing in common and that is the high amount of sugar they contain. Unfortunately, as we all know, sugar causes tooth decay.

Sugar does this by attracting and feeding Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sorbrinus, two naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria then form dental plaque which coats the surface of your teeth.

If the plaque is not cleaned away it can lower the pH levels in your mouth to an acidic level which will erode or cause small holes in your tooth's enamel. If left unaddressed, these places in your enamel can lead to cavities.

2. Acidic Foods

Nothing says summer like ice cold lemonade. While this beverage too probably contains high levels of sugar, the lemon juice the lemonade contains is a highly acidic juices with a pH of 2.0 - 2.60.

Other high acidic summer foods include many of the fresh fruits you look forward to during the summer. These include:

• Plums
• Grapes
  
• Blueberries
  
• Pineapples
  
• Apples
  
• Peaches
  

Tomatoes and tomato-based products such as ketchup, salsa, and hot sauce can also be very acidic. High acidic levels in your mouth can cause your enamel to weaken and some of these foods can cause your teeth to become discolored.

While you may want to brush immediately after consuming sugary foods, you may want to wait a short while after consuming highly acidic foods. This is because brushing the weakened enamel can increase the wearing of your teeth.

3. Ice

Although ice is technically not a food or drink category, ice is a summer staple. While you may consume those frozen bits that just linger in the bottom of your cup, compulsive ice chewing can damage your teeth.

Ice chewing can result in cracked or broken teeth, and cause you to break crowns, partials, or bridges. It can even result in pain to your gums and in your jaw muscles.

If you are going to eat ice, consider shaved ice, popsicles, or slushies. These treats are much less likely to cause dental damage.

4. Alcohol

Many summer parties come with at least one or more types of alcoholic drinks. Most of them are harmful to your teeth and can cause dental damage.

Those fancy summer punches are not only full of sugar, but many contain some form of acidic juice. This combination can form a sticky dental plaque that not only adheres to your teeth but that quickly starts eroding your enamel.

If you are worried about wine staining your teeth, stay away from the darker beers and malt liquors. The dark barley and malts found in these darker beverages can stain your teeth just like wine.

One of the best ways to keep summer foods and drinks from wreaking havoc on your teeth is to make sure you have a dental checkup every six months. Here at the dental office of Dr. Michael G. Landy, we will be happy to help you with that. Call us today so that we can schedule your appointment.