There are a lot of great foods you can eat to keep your teeth healthy, but there are also a lot of foods that are not good for teeth. One category of food that is not good for your teeth is starchy foods. Starchy foods can have negative effects on your teeth—here are several things to understand about starchy foods and the effects they can have on your teeth.
What are starchy foods?
The first thing to know is what starchy foods are. Starchy foods describe foods that have high levels of carbohydrates. Foods that are considered starchy are made up of joined sugar molecules, and while carbohydrates are important for energy levels, they are also not so great for your teeth. Some examples of foods that are considered starchy foods include pretzels, potato chips, bread, crackers, rice, and noodles.
What effects do starchy foods have on your teeth?
Eating starchy foods can lead to higher levels of decay on your teeth, and there are several reasons for this. First, there are high levels of sugars found in these types of foods. Sugar is never good for your teeth, as it feeds bacteria in your mouth leading to acids forming. Secondly, starchy foods often have a sticky type of texture to them that is not good for your teeth.
Because of the texture, small bits of food particles can easily get trapped in your mouth and are hard to remove. When this happens, you might not even realize that you have food trapped in your teeth and it might stay there for a while. If you do not remove it, the sugars from the food bits can lead to decay forming.
What can you do to minimize these effects if you eat starchy foods?
If you want to continue eating starchy foods but want to have a healthier mouth, there are several things you can do. First of all, you should limit how much starchy food you eat; if possible, eat other kinds of food that are better for your teeth. Secondly, rinse out your mouth with water after eating foods like this. Finally, floss and brush your teeth regularly to remove the particles of food from your mouth.
Eating starchy foods in moderation will not harm your teeth, especially if you follow the recommendations here. To learn more about this topic or others related to your teeth, contact a dental clinic like Today's Dental Care.
Share14 November 2019
