Worst Foods for Teeth: Are Healthy Foods Wrecking Your Smile?

Some of the "healthiest" foods out there aren't too healthy for your teeth. In fact, some of the things you eat to fuel your system can be as bad for your oral health as a candy bar rinsed down with a sugar-filled soda.

Why? It all comes down to acid. Whether contained in foods, or converted from sugars by your mouth's bacteria, acid can erode your teeth's enamel, jumpstarting cavities and tooth decay, according to the American Dental Association.

But that doesn't mean you should stop eating naturally sugary or acidic foods. Your body—right down to your gums—still needs the nutrients found in those kind of foods. And in the end, it's the amount of time your teeth are exposed to sweet and/or acidic foods that makes the most difference to your pearly whites.

What's the solution? Drinking water immediately after you eat can neutralize the acids and help wash them away. If you have a toothbrush handy, brush your teeth 20 minutes or so after your rinse-off.

Another smart move: Eat sugary or acidic foods as part of a meal, rather than as a snack, which will limit the amount of time your teeth are exposed to sugars and acids. This will also spur your salivary glands to produce extra saliva, which neutralizes acids and naturally protects your enamel, says Kimberly A. Harms, D.D.S., a dentist spokesperson for the American Dental Association.

So, what "healthy" foods should you think twice about before—and after—you eat?

You've switched to brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and sweet potatoes, but even healthy carbs can damage your teeth. The pre-digestive enzymes in your saliva metabolize the carbohydrates into sugars and produce teeth-eroding acid, says Debra Glassman, a New York City cosmetic dentist. Plus, these foods can easily get lodged between your teeth, damaging them from lunchtime all the way until dinner. But that's no excuse to switch back to white, refined grains, she says. Their sugars erode enamel more quickly and don't do much, nutritionally, for your smile or your body.

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It's not just coffee and tea that can stain your teeth. Pretty much anything you consume that's dark in color can have an impact on your smile. Examples include soy sauce, marinara, even blueberries and cranberries, Harms says. Made up of thousands of tiny rods, your tooth's enamel is porous and can easily absorb coloring from the foods you eat. Some people have more porous teeth, making them stain more easily, she says. Visualize your purple teeth after a glass (or two) of red wine.

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Oranges, lemons, and grapefruit, oh my! While these colorful fruits all have a good deal of natural sugar, it's enamel-eroding acids in the citrus sweeties that cause the most trouble for teeth. Dried fruits can be notorious for another reason--their sugar concentrations. Remember, just because dried peaches are smaller, they don't have any less sugar . Worse, dried fruits are packed with non-soluble cellulose fiber, which can bind and trap sugars on and around the tooth as strongly as the stickiest of saltwater taffies.

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Fruit juice, electrolyte replacement, and vitamin drinks all pack tons of added sugars, Glassman says. Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water, for instance, has as much sugar as two Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars! Stick with water for your workout, and always opt for no-sugar-added juices.

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Wonder why your taste buds tolerate vitamin chews? Sugar! Manufacturers add the white stuff to chewable vitamins and supplements so you'll actually eat them. Chewable vitamins are also great at getting lodged in your teeth's fissures, the valleys located on the chewing surface of your side teeth, where most cavities begin, Glassman says. So, if you're going to take your daily vitamin dose in a chewable form, watch for added sugars, and remember to rinse and/or brush afterwards.

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