7 Healthy Foods and Drinks that Are Horrible for Your Teeth

I don't know how I've lucked out thus far, but I've been extremely lucky in the tooth department. I've never had a cavity-knock on wood. I'm assuming that I earned a lot of tooth karma suffering through braces for a whopping five years, so I'm hoping to remain cavity-free for the foreseeable future. While I have a lot of good oral health habits like brushing regularly and flossing that should help keep my chompers chomping, I've got other habits that won't help, like eating healthy foods. Yep, while you're doing your body tons of good by eating certain healthy foods, they can take their toll on your teeth. I recently asked Dr. Joseph Banker, a dentist and member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, a few questions about the healthy foods that can be bad for your teeth-and what makes them harmful. He shared a list with me of the worst tooth-offenders, because even healthy foods can damage teeth with prolonged exposure, as acids can eat away at tooth enamel and sugars are converted to acids by oral bacteria. Check to see if any of your favorite foods are bad for your dental health-and find out how to minimize their negative effects on your grin! -By Erin Whitehead

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