Five smile saboteurs that are ruining your teeth
Carbonated Water
Five smile saboteurs that are ruining your teeth
Sparkling water
Sipping fizzy water can increase tooth sensitivity — its bubbles are highly acidic and over time can slowly eat away at dental enamel. (A straw helps keep the carbonation from hitting teeth directly.)
Energy drinks
Imagine dunking your teeth in acid. A similar reaction happens with energy drinks, which can do irreparable damage to the glossy layers of enamel that protect teeth. (The caffeine can also cause you to grind unintentionally.)
Peanut brittle and caramels
These treats are notorious for yanking out fillings and crowns. Plus, if their sugars linger on tooth surfaces (especially back molars), they can trigger cavity-causing decay within hours.
Sugary mints
Sucking on mints bathes teeth in a constant, slow release of sugar, initiating decay at the gum line where enamel is thinnest. A steady mint habit can lead to painful nerve exposure requiring root canal work.
Dried fruits
Surprisingly sugary and sticky, dried fruit wedges between teeth easily. If you don't floss gummy bits away, you leave teeth vulnerable to cavities, stains and decay.rnrnFind out what your mouth says about your teeth here.
