Chewy candy

Chewy Candy wins as pretty much the worst food for your teeth. The stickier the candy, the worse it tends to be for your teeth. Extra-chewy candies-like taffy, caramels, or Jujyfruits-stick to (and between) teeth for a long time, allowing the bacteria in our mouths to feast leisurely on the deposited sugar.

REMEDY.

If you plan to eat chewy candy, eat it only as a special treat. When you do eat it, make sure you brush and floss well after. If you love eating chewy candy regularly opt for sugar-free gum, which is actually delicious and healthy for your mouth and teeth.

Soda

It’s no secret that drinking too many sugary sodas can breed cavities. What’s less well-known is that the acids found in carbonated soft drinks appear to harm teeth even more than the sugar. The upshot? Even sugar-free diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi-which both contain citric and phosphoric acid-can erode enamel if consumed in large doses.

REMEDY.

Again, being one of the worst things you can drink not just for your teeth but for your health, option for sparking water with a splash of fruit juice or lemon. If you MUST drink soda limit it to very special occasions, both your teeth and your body will thank you.

Sports drinks

If you’re in the mood for something sweet or fizzy, sports drinks and energy drinks may seem like a good alternative to soda. But Gatorade or Red Bull won’t do your teeth any favors, either. These beverages are acidic, too, and are potentially even more damaging to teeth.

In a 2008 study, researchers at the University of Iowa measured enamel wear after steeping teeth in several different beverages for 25 hours. Lemon-lime Gatorade resulted in the most wear, followed by Red Bull, Coke, and Diet Coke.

REMEDY.

Again, being one of the worst things you can drink not just for your teeth but for your health, opt for lemon water to nourish your thirst or some sports water such as Smart Water. If you MUST drink sports drinks limit it when you need it, both your teeth and your body will thank you.

Wine

Here’s a rule of thumb: Anything that will stain a table cloth, will stain your teeth. That means red wine, which contains substances known as chromogens that produce tooth-discoloring pigments. What’s more, the tannins in red wine tend to dry out the mouth and make teeth sticky, worsening stains.

But even white wine can contribute to staining. Reds and whites both contain erosive acid, allowing stains from other foods or drinks to penetrate more deeply. A 2009 study found that cow’s teeth soaked in black tea were more susceptible to staining if they were soaked in white wine (versus water) beforehand.

REMEDY

If you love wine, switch to white or sparkling white wine. To reduce the effects of red wine on our teeth, create a spritzer with sparkling water so the color is not so dark and will stain your teeth less. Another option is to drink it through a straw. Overall if you plan to drink red wine, don’t drink it regularly, save it as a treat and opt for brushing your teeth immediately after consumption.

Coffee

You know those dark brown rim stains that sit on the inside of a clean coffee mug? This shows you the severity of how coffee drinking can stain your teeth dramatically over time. Coffee stains appear to be even more persistent than tobacco stains, in fact. According to one study that compared the two types of stain, coffee-stained teeth were more resistant to toothbrushing and more likely to become discolored again following a bleach treatment.

REMEDY.

If you LOVE to drink coffee, drink it through a straw, this will eliminate some of it from touching your teeth at all. Brush your teeth immediately after coffee with whitening toothpaste.  But if you can avoid coffee altogether, your smile will stay brighter, longer.

Dried fruit

Despite its health-food status, dried fruit-including raisins, dried apricots, prunes and the like-is tough on teeth, sticking in crevices and depositing a lot of natural sugars in the process.

REMEDY.

If you decide to eat dried fruit, just make sure you brush and floss your teeth immediately after, especially if you are more prone to cavities.