Candy is not the most harmful food for teeth : New York Post

We often think that the worst food for our teeth is sugary foods, because they allow bacteria to accumulate in the mouth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

However, you may be surprised that when it comes to oral health, there are some foods and drinks that dentists consider to be more harmful to dental health than candy.

'Sticky and baked' carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta, potato chips and crackers, are worse than sweets when it comes to poor dental health.

“The reason fermentable carbohydrates are so bad for your teeth is that they specifically break down into sugars as you chew them in your mouth,” dental expert Whitney DiFugio explained to The Post, calling them “deceptive sugars.”

She added that these specific carbohydrates make the mouth more acidic because saliva works overtime to remove sticky food from your teeth, which “increases the possibility of tooth decay.”

On the other hand, dark chocolate is surprisingly good for your teeth because it can be cleaned easily, as are foods that “require vigorous biting and chewing,” such as crunchy vegetables like carrots and celery, while whole grains are generally better for your dental health.

Just as some foods can affect your skin or heart health, the same goes for your teeth.

DeFoggio recommends that if you want to eat some sticky sweets or a bag of potato chips, you should eat all the snacks at once, because eating them throughout the day is “the absolute worst for the teeth” because the mouth will be constantly acidic.

She pointed out that the order in which you eat your favorite foods is no less important. Neutral foods - most fruits, vegetables and dairy products such as yogurt - should always be eaten last.

“So, for example, if you eat cheese and crackers, you should always try to have the cheese be the last thing in your mouth to help neutralize the pH in your mouth from the decay-causing crackers,” DiFoggio continued.

But if there isn't any cheese, she recommends just swishing with water to rinse away any remaining food or using gum that contains xylitol as an ingredient, because it can neutralize the acid in the mouth.

However, of course, nothing beats a good brushing and flossing.

DiFoggio warned that it takes between 24 to 72 hours for plaque, the sticky film that builds up on our teeth throughout the day, to harden into permanent tartar. So, skipping just one day of flossing can accelerate harmful buildup, which has the potential to erode bone, cause gum disease or tooth decay, and worse, tooth loss.