Does Eating Fruit Harm Your Teeth?

Eating fruit is healthy right? While eating fruit is definitely better than snacking on sweet treats, snacking on fruits and drinking fruit juices can contributes to tooth decay, plaque build-up and enamel erosion.

Fruit is definitely an important part of a healthy diet, but fruit juice may be problematic. Whole fruits have fiber and are a less concentrated source of sugar (and sometimes acids). In addition, juices sometimes have sugar added to them, which can be even more damaging to your teeth.  It is best to skip the fruit juices and choose the whole fruit instead

What about acidic fruits?  Should you avoid lemons, citrus fruits and other acidic foods? While it is fine to eat these kinds of foods, it is important that you don’t suck on them or keep them in your mouth for a long period of time. The acidic juice in these foods can erode the enamel of your teeth. Citrus fruits and foods with tomatoes (including pizza, soup and pasta sauce), pickles, honey and wine can all be damaging to your teeth if they are consumed too often or held in the mouth for too long.

While it is important to eat all foods in moderation it is also important to brush twice a day and floss. While you may not be in a position to brush your teeth after every meal drinking a class of water will help to flush bacteria and food buildup from your teeth. In addition this will lessen your risk of gum disease, fewer cavities and fresher breath.





Dan Gustavson, DDS & Your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team