We all hear about the dangers of sugar, coffee and acid on our mouth and teeth, but there are some foods that cause oral health issues that may come as a shock. Even if you are doing everything (that seems) right, bad breath can creep up on you when you least expect it.
Say it ain't so! The San Francisco Chronicle reported on a study by the University of Colorado that found simple carbohydrates in bread and pasta can lead to tooth decay. These types of foods were previously thought to be tooth-friendly, but they are prone to stick to the teeth and cause damage. When your mouth isn't properly cleaned after eating high-starch foods, bacteria begin to accumulate and cause bad breath.
According to She Knows, the No.1 most cavity-causing food is the saltine cracker (gasp!). Commonly regarded as a healthy snack for toddlers, a treatment for an upset stomach or an ideal complement of cheese, the saltine cracker is a fermentable and highly processed starch. Because of the high amount of genetically engineered ingredients in saltine crackers, sugar is created as your mouth breaks down the food. Anaerobic bacteria that cause halitosis and tooth decay feast on the remnants.
You know how saltines and other processed crackers get sticky in the mouth when you're chewing them? This is actually ideal for the anaerobic bacteria that feast and then excrete volatile sulfur compounds in your mouth.
Don't go carb free
You may be thinking it's best to cut carbohydrates out of your diet to keep your breath minty fresh, but this can just cause more problems. Individuals who go carb-free experience ketone breath because the body burns fat to produce energy.
A better alternative to that baguette that you like to scarf down during lunch would be a whole wheat loaf, oatmeal or brown rice. These healthier carbohydrates don't allow bacteria to grow as quickly, allowing the saliva in the mouth to rinse food particles away before halitosis sets in. Same goes for crackers. Instead of loading your bowl of soup with saltines, opt for a whole-grain cracker that is made of all-natural ancient grains. These heartier crackers don't linger in your mouth afterwards. After any meal with bread or other starchy foods, make sure to drink water to flush away any lasting crumbs that get stuck in crevices of your mouth.