Food items that may damage teeth

Food items like hard boiled sweets and dried fruits tantalise taste buds, but they may attack your teeth for worse.

Femalefirst.co.uk shares a list of some of the culprits:

* Dried fruit: They are sticky and high in sugar. That means they not only stick to teeth easily, but the sugar feeds the bacteria in the mouth, which can lead to dental erosion. It's best if you don't overeat dried fruits.

* Fizzy drinks: Sugary and fizzy drinks are especially bad for teeth when you choose to sip for long periods of time. Your teeth get exposed to acid present in the drinks. Finish the drink as quickly as possible rather than sipping it through the meal or while watching TV.

* Hard boiled sweets: These sweets not only stick to the teeth, but also stay in the mouth for a long time as the sweets take time to get dissolved.

* Coffee and tea: They are said to stain the teeth and also make them stickier, especially if you add sugar to your cup of tea or coffee. This means that more food bits can stick to the teeth.