It’s important to keep your gums in an optimal shape. Otherwise, gum disease may strike. Aside from putting your pearly whites in danger, did you know that gum disease is also linked by the experts to heart disease? Indeed, it’s very important to take good care of your gums to keep your smile beaming and your ticker ticking.

Everybody knows that having good oral hygiene is the surest way to keep gum disease at bay. Then it’s also important to watch one’s diet to save the gums from harm. If you want to keep your gums A-OK, see to it that you avoid or limit the following foods that are proven to increase a person’s risk of gum disease:

Candies

Anything that is loaded with sugar such as candies can considerably increase your risk of gum disease. It’s because their high sugar content can promote bacterial growth and plaque formation, which can then bring about gum disease most especially if you have poor oral hygiene and you don’t pay your dentist a regular visit.

White Bread

Even though white bread and other starchy foods like crackers and pasta do not really taste sweet, the fact is their starch content is sugar, and that is why consuming them can cause bacteria in your mouth to have a grand time. If you cannot completely say “no” to starchy foods, at least limit your intake of them.

Chips

There are a couple of reasons why chips can put your gums in grave danger. First, they are starchy treats just like white bread and the rest of the gang — bacteria love feasting on starch as it’s basically sugar in disguise. Second, chips can leave cuts and scrapes on your gums, and there is a possibility for them to end up infected.

Oranges

Even though oranges are rich in vitamin C that is good for the gums, their acid content can create an environment that oral bacteria certainly love. This does not mean, however, that you should refrain from eating oranges and other citrus fruits. What you need to do is rinse your mouth with water right after consuming them to flush out excess acid.

Tomatoes

Just like oranges, tomatoes are highly acidic and that is why their intake can increase your risk of developing gum disease most especially if you are not practicing good oral hygiene and you skip going to the dentist. The solution is not to turn your back on tomatoes, but try to reduce your mouth’s acidity by rinsing it with water after eating.

Sticky Foods

Do you love munching on anything that’s sticky? Well, it’s high time that you limit your love affair with them especially if you want to keep your gums in a healthy state. That’s because the particles of sticky foods tend to linger in your mouth, and this encourages bacteria and plaque to form, eventually causing gum disease to strike.

Soda

It cannot be denied that consuming soda is a terrible thing for your smile. It’s for the fact that it is highly acidic, and it’s not only your pearly whites that are placed on the line but also the ones that are keeping them healthy — your gums. Second, soda is loaded with sugar, and sugar is definitely a wrecker of one’s oral health.

Sports Drinks

Just like soda, sports drinks can easily put your gums in danger. Did you know that your favorite brand of sports drinks is highly acidic? And did you know that it’s actually flooded with sugar? So if you want to shield your gums from harm, refrain from glugging down sports drinks all the time. Or avoid them all together if possible.

Aside from steering clear of the above mentioned foods, it’s also very important for you to practice good oral hygiene and take regular trips to your dentist.

Do you have family and friends with beautiful smiles? Then have this article reposted on your various social media sites to let them know which foods can actually put their gums at risk!