When trying to eat healthily we are often encouraged to eat lots of things like fruit and vegetables, however these items often aren’t so healthy for our oral hygiene. Many fruits are very high in fructose, a type of sugar that attacks tooth enamel leading to tooth sensitivity and decay. Particularly in fruit smoothies these sugars can coat our teeth causing lots of damage if they are not properly brushed away. Some vegetables are also high in natural sugars such as sweet potatoes, peas, sweetcorn and carrots. We can often be eating these thinking that they are helping to keep us healthy without realising the damage they can do.
As a child most of us were taught that milk is ‘good for your teeth’ and this is because milk can be high in calcium which helps build strong bones and teeth. The issue with milk is that its also high in lactose – a natural sugar that can cause damage to teeth enamel. However no one is saying you shouldn’t eat or drink these healthy items but instead just exercise caution. Think about the dangers of natural sugars and ensure that your daily oral hygiene can help to remove these sugars from your teeth before they can cause any lasting damage.