Having sensitive teeth is not a serious oral health issue. It’s rather quite common with people of all age groups coming it its grip. If you feel some pain in the teeth while eating or drinking anything hot, cold or sweet foods, it means you too are suffering from sensitive teeth. The sensitivity level also pains when we eat foods acidic or sticky in nature. This problem is more acutely felt in those with receding gum lines. If sensitive teeth are not treated timely, it can lead to tooth decay and other dental problems over time. Meanwhile, you must avoid certain foods that are prone to causing pain or tingling sensation to the teeth.
Here are some foods to avoid if you have sensitive teeth –
- Soda – Soda is bad for your teeth. It will harm your teeth whether or not you have sensitive teeth. People who consume soda in excess are always at risk of tooth decay and tooth loss. Soda has those two ingredients that are considered bad for teeth: sugar and acid. So, its effect can be almost double than other foods. Both these ingredients can irritate the exposed teeth nerves and aggravate the damage to your teeth. It’s therefore important to keep minimum the consumption of soda and keep away the problem of tooth sensitivity.
- Ice cream – Beware if you are fond of ice cream. If you eat more of them, it could make your teeth more sensitive. It’s not only the cold nature of ice cream but also the sugar amount that is bad for the teeth. If you have sensitive teeth, you will lack the enamel layer that works as a protective barrier to the teeth. And when this layer is not present, your nerves won’t be insulated making it hard to bear the temperature of the food. So, minimize the consumption of ice cream if you have sensitive teeth and keep your oral health better.
- Hot coffee or tea – If you have sensitive teeth, you should then think twice about the habit of waking up to a hot cup of tea or coffee. Because your favorite beverage could be bad for your teeth and might cause them to hurt. Tea and coffee are acidic in nature and sweetening them with sugar can make the pain even worse. If you’re not able to ditch the habit, it’s better to add some milk to the beverage and minimize the harm to some extent. When you add milk, it will not only lower the temperature of the drink but also its acidity. This is how it becomes slightly less damaging to the teeth.
- Citrus fruits – Acid in any form is bad for our teeth. The earlier it’s understood the better. It’s, therefore, better to avoid fruits that are highly acidic in nature, particularly when your teeth are sensitive. Such fruits can wear away at tooth enamel and expose the nerves and roots to the acidic. It’s not only eating acidic fruits but even drinking their juice can increase the risk of tooth sensitivity further and might also aggravate the pain. So, stay away from fruits like lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapple etc and if you can’t avoid eating them, cut back on the amount to keep the damage to the minimum.
- Sticky candy – Sticky candies should be a big no if you have sensitive teeth. They are not only high in sugar but can also stick to your teeth. Their sweetness and stickiness can work as a double whammy for the teeth. If foods are extremely sweet and sticky in nature, they can stimulate the nerves and expose the nerves. If you don’t cut back on sticky candies, it can increase the risk of tooth sensitivity and may also lead to tooth decay. Dentists also recommend rinsing the mouth with water immediately after eating foods with sugar ingredient to minimize the risk to a great extent. But avoid brushing the teeth immediately after having acidic foods as this can harm the teeth.
So, visit a nearby dental clinic for consultation if you have sensitive teeth and the problem is not going away. This could be a sign of more serious oral problems.
