Your child’s teeth are affected by everything they eat, and avoiding sticky foods is a great way to keep their teeth healthy. Why? Sticky food stays on your teeth longer than most foods, and the longer it stays on your teeth, the more likely it is to cause common dental problems.
You can’t completely avoid sticky foods, but you can swap them out for healthier options as much as possible. If your child eats a lot of sticky snacks, make sure they brush their teeth right after to avoid sugar bugs.
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Sticky Food That Causes Teeth Problem
If you eat sweets, choose ones that you can get rid of quickly. So lollipops, caramels, and cough drops with refined sugar get a thumbs down. People have talked a lot about how chocolate can prevent cavities. This has not been proven for sure. There are some health benefits to dark chocolate (made with 70% cacao). Some studies have shown that chocolate isn’t as bad for you as other sweets.
White Toast
Soft white bread quickly turns into a sticky mass when you chew it. Starchy foods can be bad for your teeth because they stick to them and feed bacteria that are bad for you. One study reveals that cavities risk may be predicted by how sugar & starch interact in a group of low-risk teenagers.
Most of the time, you can get bits of white bread out of your teeth with a toothbrush or even your tongue. But there are problems with brushing your teeth right after you eat. Instead, swish your mouth with plain water or an oral rinse to keep your teeth as healthy as possible.
Caramel
Even though caramels are creamy and tasty, you probably know the risks of loving them or have met someone who has paid the price for loving caramels. Caramels are very sticky, after all. That makes it sticky, which is bad for your teeth in two ways.
According to the top reviewed dentist in Karachi, Dr. Amena Tahir “The sticky caramel sticks to your teeth, leaving a lot of sugar for bacteria that cause cavities to eat. This lowers the pH level in your mouth, making it more acidic, which is the same thing that makes enamel break down. Caramel can also cause damage to machinery. When you chew it, it can stick to your teeth so strongly that it can pull out fillings.”
Studies have shown, for example, that when a certain group of harmful bacteria eats sugar, they make acid in your mouth.
If eating caramel doesn’t make you feel like you’re close enough to the edge, a caramel apple will. When you mix the stickiness of caramel with acidic fruit, a hard apple, and slippery apple skin, the chances of getting food stuck in your teeth, which could be painful and increase your risk of oral health problems, are very high.
Corn on the Cob
Roasted, crisp corn on the cob may taste good, but it can also make you feel deliciously uncomfortable. Corn has a coating that can be bad for your teeth.
The shell doesn’t break down as quickly as the middle of the kernel when you chew it, so it can get stuck between your teeth. Most of the time, good flossing is enough to get rid of the problem husks. But if corn on the cob is hard on your teeth, its drier cousin is even worse…
Popcorn
Popcorn is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “food that gets stuck in your teeth.” Popcorn is tasty tooth shrapnel because it has a soft, white center inside a hard, uneven shell. When you chew popcorn, the fluffy part breaks down quickly, but the shell doesn’t break down well.
It also has sharp edges because of the way it was made, which was by exploding. As it slides between your teeth, it can cut into your gums or slide between your teeth and gums, making it hard to get out. Gum injuries can cause gum infections, which is a big problem for something as simple as a snack.
Berries
Even a healthy snack can sometimes be hard on your teeth. In this area, raspberries and blackberries are the worst offenders. Their tiny seeds can get stuck between teeth and sometimes in the gums, which hurts. When a hard seed gets stuck in your gums like a piece of a popcorn kernel, you may not know it, but your gums do.
As the irritation gets worse, so does the chance of inflammation, which can lead to gum disease starting early. If you clean your teeth carefully, healthy snacks like berries are less likely to hurt your teeth. Even if you don’t like berries, you should still be careful because sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and other small seeds can do the same thing.
Spinach
It’s a classic in the world of visual comedy: a big, friendly smile that gets ruined by a piece of spinach. Leafy greens and herbs like spinach, parsley, kale, and dill tend to get stuck in your teeth, which could make you not want to smile.
The good news is that green, leafy food that sticks to your teeth is usually easy to get off, so you don’t have to skip a meal full of vegetables to save your teeth. You might be embarrassed for a minute or two if there’s a clinger, but chewing sugar-free xylitol gum after a meal can help get rid of any stray veggie pieces and fight acids that cause tooth decay.
Ribs
Fresh, meaty ribs may be one of the best things about summer, but they can also be one of the worst things about life. Stringy meats like ribs or brisket can break into fibers that are just the right size to get stuck between your teeth and cause trouble.
Even though you might be tempted to use something handy to pick at your teeth, a study of how adults flossed found that nearly half of those who said they used sticks, fingernails, paper, pocketknives, etc. to try to get things out of their teeth hurt themselves in the process. For the best oral health, stick to floss, interdental brushes, and other ways to clean your teeth that are made to work in your mouth.
Things You Should Consider
This article is not meant to make you not want to eat any of these things. Eat and snack the way you like! Just be aware of the possible risks, especially if you have braces, and make sure to take care of your teeth so they stay healthy. In case of teeth problems, please do not delay your appointment with your nearest doctor.
