When are Nuts Bad for Your Teeth?

Dentist Blog

Nuts are generally considered to be a healthy snack full of vitamins and minerals that are good for your teeth; however, there are times when eating nuts may be a bad idea. Sometimes, nuts may actually damage your teeth and it's important to know when to avoid eating them. What kinds of problems can nuts cause?

Whole Nuts Can Damage Your Teeth

Although healthy teeth should be able to cope with eating nuts, weaker teeth may have issues with them. For example, if you have a tooth that has already been weakened with a large filling in the past, hard nuts may damage the filling or even crack the tooth. Sometimes, even healthy teeth can be chipped or cracked if you eat a lot of nuts that are particularly hard, such as whole almonds.

Nuts Can Interfere With Dental Treatments

It's not always a good idea to chomp down on a handful of nuts if you've recently had dental treatment. For example, if you've just had a tooth filled, a hard nut may dislodge the fresh filling if you eat it too soon after your appointment. This may take you back to the dentist sooner than you'd anticipated.

In some cases, your dental treatment may require you to avoid eating nuts for longer periods. For example, if you wear braces, your orthodontist may throw a tantrum if you ask if you can eat nuts. Nuts are actually likely to be on your list of foods not to eat during orthodontic treatment, as they can break braces and the wires.

Nutty Products Can Cause Tooth Decay

You should also take care not to assume that the health benefits of nuts automatically apply to products that also contain other ingredients in addition to nuts. These products may also contain stuff that can damage your teeth by increasing your chances of developing tooth decay. For example, a nut on its own may be healthy, but if it has a candied or sugary coating, it's not so good for your teeth.

The consistency of some nut-based products may also be a problem. According to the Australian Dental Association, peanut butter's stickiness makes it cling to your teeth, which may be problematic. You may not notice this happening, but the bacteria in your mouth will be attracted to it. This may also be an issue if you eat soft muesli bars that promote a high nut content. The nuts in these bars may be held together with a sticky sugary substance, which may sit on your teeth long after you've finished eating the snack.

If you have any other questions about nuts and how they might affect your teeth, consider contacting a local dentist, such as The Happy Tooth Kurri Kurri, for more information.

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22 February 2016