8 Best and Worst Drinks for Your Oral Health

A healthy diet is very important for good oral health. However, diet does not only include foods but drinks as well. People are often careful about what they eat but they completely forget that drinks also affect dental health. It is important to know which drinks are good and which are bad for your teeth. Here is a list of drinks that can promote or worsen your oral health.

Best drink for your dental health

1. Milk

Milk is one of the best drinks that promotes good oral health. Milk contains calcium, proteins, vitamin D, and other components that are good for teeth. This drink strengthens our teeth and tooth enamel. Milk also reduces acidity in the mouth. High acidity in the mouth has been linked to enamel erosion and tooth decay.

2. Water

Water helps maintain proper hydration levels in the body and helps keep your mouth healthy. Water acts as a sort of brushing by washing away bacterias, plaque, and food debris. This prevents bacterias breeding in the mouth. These bacterias may cause teeth and gum diseases.

3. Natural fruit juice

Organic juice is not a liquid in plastic bottles, which is sold in the grocery store. Organic juice can be made of natural sources such as fruits. Vitamins and microelements found in real fruit juice can strengthen your teeth and prevent demineralization. This can reduce the risk of enamel erosion and tooth decay.

It is recommended to choose non-acidic fruits like apple or pear. Acidic fruits juice may, in turn, damage the enamel and cause teeth sensitivity.

4. Clear tea

Tea also acts like water. It washes away bacterias that may damage your teeth. White or green tea not only rinses your oral cavity but also acts as a saliva stimulant. This is good for dental health and prevention of dry mouth. However, all the beneficial properties of tea can be eliminated if you add sugar, lemon or syrups.

Keep in mind that dark tea may stain your teeth. Additionally, make sure to stay away from bottled tea sold at the grocery stores. Such tea often is filled with sugar and does not have any beneficial properties.

Worst drinks for dental health

1. Soda

By drinking soda you fill your teeth with sugars and acids. Moreover, these acids remain on your teeth and damage them. Sugars in soda create a favorable environment for bacteria breeding. Acids weaken the enamel and make your teeth more vulnerable to dental infections. If you cannot quit this sugary drink, you should at least rinse your mouth with tap water after it. Thus, you can reduce the damage that sugars and acids cause.

2. Energy drink

Energy drinks are filled with sugars and acids as well as soda. In addition to these enemies of healthy teeth, energy drinks contain unhealthy levels of caffeine. These drinks contain dozens of grams of sugar and do not have any valuable nutrients. Overconsumption of energy drinks may cause problems both with oral and overall health.

3. Fresh orange juice

A glass of fresh orange juice contains vitamin C and other healthy nutrients. However, orange juice is high in acid and sugar. Acidic fruits juice can damage the enamel and cause teeth sensitivity. Such drinks also increase your chances of tooth decay. Other fresh juices like grapefruit, cranberry, and lemon are similarly bad for teeth.

4. Coffee

This brown and hot drink can be a tooth killer. Coffee is a highly acidic drink that people often drink with sugar. Coffee weakens the tooth and makes it more prone to crack. In addition to acids that weaken the enamel, coffee also stains your teeth. Thus, you may forget about the white Hollywood smile. Only professional teeth whitening procedures will help you reduce the effect of coffee.

If you don’t imagine your morning without this invigorating drink then dilute it with milk and don’t add sugar. You may also drink coffee through a straw to minimize contact with teeth.