The 10 Worst Things You Can Do To Your Teeth At A Party

Mon, 29 Dec 2014 13:50:24 +0000

As you walk into a friend's house or night club for a holiday party, you're probably not thinking much about your teeth. That's a problem because you spend a lot of time taking care of them. You may even spend a lot of money on cosmetic dentistry to keep your teeth straight and looking white. Protect your investment by paying attention to those things at a party that are bad for your teeth.

1. Drinking red wine - Wine is acidic and can etch the enamel of your teeth. Once etched, the tannin in the wine binds to the weakened enamel and holds onto the intense red color. The result is a purple-gray stain on your teeth.

2. Drinking white wine - Even white wine promotes staining of your teeth. It also contains tannin which etches your teeth leaving them open to being stained.

3. Eating blueberries on a piece of cheesecake - Dark-colored berries can stain your teeth especially if vulnerable by drinking something that causes etching of the enamel.

4. Drinking diet or non-diet sodas - These are both acidic and can eat away at the enamel. They also contain sugars that get into the smallest places between your teeth, causing cavities in out-of-the-way places where you won't notice them until they become a large problem.

5. Eating sticky candy treats - Any kind of sticky food holds the sugars onto your teeth so bacteria can feed off of it. Sticky food is the best way to start a cavity.

6. Snacking on potato chips - These are a party favorite but the chips can promote tooth decay. When you chew the potato chips they turn into a paste which sticks to your teeth. The sugars attract bacteria that produce acid. This creates the holes in your teeth that become cavities.

7. Eating dried fruit snacks - Dried fruit condenses the sugars that you find in the fresh version. They turn into a bite size sticky food that collect between your teeth. It might be fruit, but in this form, it isn't healthy for your teeth.

8. Having a pasta and red-sauce dinner - Tomatoes are acidic. The intense color stains your teeth, like the red wine. A bite of tortellini with marinara sauce washed down by a sip of red wine is war against your teeth.

9. Eating ice - If you chew the ice in your drink with your teeth, you run the risk of cracking a tooth. If you have a partially cracked tooth, you can crack it completely down through the tooth root and into the nerve by eating ice.

10. Smoking - After eating a meal or snacking on foods that damage your teeth, the nicotine in cigarettes is one the best ways to stain your teeth.

What can you do besides stay home from parties? Periodically rinse your mouth out with water to clear the materials off of your teeth. Carry some floss with you and make a trip to the bathroom to remove food particles between your teeth. When you get home, brush, floss and rinse. The sooner you get these harmful things off of your teeth, the less problems you'll have with staining and tooth decay. For more information on tooth care, see your dentist, like those at Katz Family Dentistry PC.

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The 10 Worst Things You Can Do To Your Teeth At A Party