1. Sweets. “Streptococcus mutans” is a microorganism that is responsible for tooth decay. This bacterium lives in our mouths and it needs sugar and starch. It produces an acid which destroys calcium and makes teeth enamel to decay. This bacterium also forms tophus which promotes decay even more. Food that contains sugar is a real feast for bacteria.
2. Sour food. Sour foods are also bad for your teeth, for example, citrus fruits, sodas and so on. When we are eating sweets, acids are formed in the mouth, while sour foods contain acids already. It doesn’t mean that you have to stop eating these foods. However, you should not eat it before going to bed, because when you are sleeping, you don’t produce much saliva which would neutralize these acids.
3. Poor oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene is not just tooth decay or bad breath. Gum diseases can be related to more serious health problems, like heart diseases or even stroke. Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day and visit your dentist regularly. You should also floss at least once per day and use mouth rinse.
4. Influence of genes. Genes has significant impact on almost all diseases. However, dental health mostly depends on how much you care about it.
5. Aging. New researches have shown that babies saliva contain lots of bacteria which may cause decay. This has proved that you should start taking care of babies teeth before they grow. Older people produce less saliva and saliva is known to neutralize acids and remove food residue. So elderly people should be taking extremely good care of their oral hygiene.