We, people, love to eat. I think this alone is a universal fact. No matter the age, race, gender, or time, we simply love to eat. Call it a part of our nature or a necessary life instinct. People like to eat, and they like to eat nice.
However, I also think that there is more to people’s love to eat. I mean, we don’t just eat anything now – do we? If we had an option (like, not faced by an apocalypse kind of option), we won’t just eat anything. To be more specific, we refuse to eat three things: the stuff we’re allergic to, the stuff we don’t like, and stuff that simply aren’t edible. There is that difference between “eating to live” and “living to eat” after all.
Because of this, I would like to rephrase my opening statement.
“People love to eat – but only if what they eat is delicious!”
And indeed we have come far in the pursuit of all things delicious. We have improved a lot in terms of creating fried, grilled, boiled, broiled, baked, chilled, and frozen dishes. But one thing we often leave a blind eye to is the one that’s taking the most blow from all our gourmet rendezvous. Now, whatever else would I be talking about but our body’s strong and sturdy built-in munching mechanism? Our teeth.
That’s right every time you drink, bite, chew, munch, and swallow; our teeth are dealing with the process’s damage. It is important to note that although our teeth may be the hardest, most durable part of our bodies, they are not immune to impairment. And the most alarming fact about teeth that I really want to stress today is that they’re unable to repair themselves. They’re not capable of fixing cracks, filling up cavities, or growing new teeth when the old ones are lost. Unlike the rest of our bodies that can naturally heal up with time, teeth will continue to get damaged and stay damaged if left untreated.
Good question. First things first, I’m not telling you to stop eating. That would be very, very cruel. Not just for you but for me as well because that would mean I have to do the same! Eating good food is the most exciting bonus that comes with living, after all. However, there are other ways we can go about eating that will help minimize the damage we inflict on our teeth.
Aside from maintaining our oral hygiene like following the 2-2-2-2 rule which is to floss twice daily, brush twice daily for two whole minutes, and to visit the dentist twice every year, we can help our teeth by managing the food we eat. Some types of food, although very delicious, can inflict twice or thrice damage to our teeth, you see. Optimizing our diet and leaving these food out of our usual meals, or at least controlling their portions, would really help lessen teeth damage.
If you’re curious about what types of food (or drinks) I’m talking about, I have them below:
P.S. Sorry if I’m about to ruin your appetite for dessert.
What’s a common ingredient you can find both in sodas, pop colas, and other types of juices? Ding-a-ling! That’s right it’s sugar. This sweet, sweet substance has long been known to weaken the teeth enamel and cause tooth decay and cavities. Sweet things may be nice to eat but they aren’t at all healthy. Plus, eating food that contains a lot of sugar isn’t relatively good for your diet either. Unless you are looking for ways to weigh a few pounds more, stay away from sugar – or at least minimize your intake of it. Maybe instead of 5 cans of sugary drinks, just drink one?
P.S. If you must drink a sugary beverage, use a straw. This way, you can control the amount of sugar that comes into direct contact with your teeth.
Another culprit for tooth decay are chewy, sticky food stuff like raisins and other types of dried fruit. These “chewables” may be delightful in texture and taste but they hang around your teeth a little too long. When food scraps get in-between teeth or stuck on the grooves of the teeth’s surface, they hasten bacteria growth and increase acid activity. Bacteria and acid are two of the topmost culprits responsible for tooth decay and also the same pair of troublemakers we, dentists, have been battling for the longest time.
If you keep eating these types of food, you’re only aggravating the decay process. This is especially true for people who are experiencing signs of tooth decay for a good while now. Limit your intake of raisins and other dried fruits. You’ll be fine without them in your oatmeal cookies. Keep insisting and you won’t be eating any type of cookie in the future at all!
I know you already get it. It’s sugar, alright? But I just wanted to stress the importance of managing your intake of sugar – again. This is just in case you decide to play the “You didn’t say that exactly” game. I mentioned a while ago that sugary drinks risk the health of your teeth, and obviously enough, sugary desserts do too. And that includes cakes, pies, chocolates, butter fingers, Nutella, ice cream, lollipops, parfaits, waffles, pancakes, and whatever sweet thing I forgot to mention.
Don’t get me wrong. Eating sweets isn’t a crime. After all, we do have our sweet tooth to pay mind to. All I’m saying is that you should learn to control your cravings. And down some water after every sweet meal!
Wine can damage teeth two ways: (1) It things the enamel and (2) it stains teeth. Wine may be good for the heart but it’s not very gentle when it comes to teeth. The teeth enamel is very crucial to out teeth’s health. It acts as a shield against damage and sensitivity. It may be the hardest substance in the body (true story) but it’s not impregnable to damage. So take it easy on the wine now – please?
