Dried fruit
While dried fruit may be a definite step up from other manufactured sweet alternatives, they are still sticky and high in sugar. That means they not only adhere to teeth easily, but the sugar feeds the bacteria in the mouth, which can promote dental erosion. It’s best if you moderate dried fruit for your teeth’s sake. Fresh fruit don't typically have this problem because, even though they still have sugar, chewing them up promotes saliva and they don't stick to the teeth. Fruits are safer option because they're good for overall health and they're chewy, so your average fruit has some substance to it and we chew through it, causing us to salivate more. Saliva is a good thing because it has washing action and it's a natural barrier to acid.
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Sugary drinks
Sugary and fizzy drinks are especially bad for teeth when sipping for long periods of time. If you have a soft drink or sports drink and sipping it every 20 minutes, your teeth are getting bathed with a constant layer of acid. It’s best to finish the drink as quickly as possible rather than sip it through the meal or while watching TV.
Hard boiled sweets
Hard boiled sweets aren't ideal for oral health. These sweets pack a double whammy in that they not only stick to the teeth, but they also linger in the mouth for a long time as you wait for them to dissolve.
Alcohol
You may not realise it, but alcohol can be bad for the teeth, as it causes natural saliva production to decrease, according to the Yale Medical Group. Again, saliva helps to wash away food particles and provides a shield against acid. The skin of the mouth is very delicate and the alcohol is corrosive to the gums, cheeks and skin. It can affect the way the tissue cells divide, which is why people who drink heavily have a greater chance of getting mouth or throat cancer.
Citrus fruit and acidic foods
Foods high in acid, such as citruses or tomatoes, can promote tooth decay, especially when eaten alone. These foods are fine to eat so long as you flush your mouth with water after consuming them in order to buffer the acid. Citruses not only have acid, but also sugar. People who have a habit of sucking on lemons or limes are actually harmfully bathing their teeth in acid. If you look in their mouths, their teeth have a shiny, glossy surface - that's from constant bathing with the acids, experts say.
Starchy foods
We all probably know by now that foods which are high in starch (otherwise known as carbohydrates or carbs) can lead to a weight gain, but did we know that starchy foods can damage our teeth? Food products such as potato crisps and white bread, easily get trapped in teeth, which can then feed the bacteria that make up plaque according to the Yale Medical Group.
Coffee and tea
Not only do drinks like coffee and tea stain the teeth, they also make the teeth stickier, especially if you take your brew with sugar in it. This simply means that more food bits can stick to the teeth.
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