--- title: Dental Hygiene and Cavities: 5 Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth description: Chewable vitamins, juicing, dried fruit and white wine can all affect your dental hygiene, teeth health and cavities. canonical: https://time.com/3907886/teeth-damage-causes/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-05T14:33:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:03.087Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Surprising Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth og:description: Some juices have higher sugar content than smoothies or soda og:url: https://time.com/3907886/teeth-damage-causes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt490fae5046545554/698852e48e0601d69d460ca0/140667390-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=337&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 337 og:image:height: 190 og:image:alt: orange-juice-glass og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Surprising Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth twitter:description: Some juices have higher sugar content than smoothies or soda twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt490fae5046545554/698852e48e0601d69d460ca0/140667390-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=337&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Surprising Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Should I Drink Seltzer Water? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Seltzer Water?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SSdTN2EQ.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2015-02-04. Seltzer -- also known as bubbly water, carbonated water, soda water and sparkling water -- comes with as many health myths as it does names. Luckily, seltzer is one of the rare instances where something you love drinking isn’t bad for you._ by [Chelsea Burns / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Chelsea Burns / Health.com Contributor Jun 5, 2015 2:33 PM UTC  Close-up of a glass of orange juice Close-up of a glass of orange juice Getty Images by [Chelsea Burns / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Chelsea Burns / Health.com Contributor Jun 5, 2015 2:33 PM UTC We all know that candy and soda aren’t good for our [teeth](http://www.health.com/health/dental-care/), but the [sugars](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20424821,00.html) and acids lurking in other, seemingly innocuous (and even healthy) foods can also do a number on your dental hygiene. We got New York City-based cosmetic dentist Marc Lowenberg, DDS, to give us real talk on five culprits you didn’t realize were hurting your choppers, and how to prevent the damage. **Juicing** Say it ain’t so: While bottles of the [cold-pressed](http://news.health.com/2014/10/01/7-eleven-healthy-food-on-the-go/) stuff may be chock-full of good-for-you nutrients, juices also have such a high sugar content (some have even more than smoothies or soft drinks) that drinking them isn’t far off from bathing your teeth in chocolate, Lowenberg says. This sugar is consumed by the bacteria in our mouths and converted into acid that wears away enamel and can cause cavities. **The solution:** Sip juice through a straw to help keep it away from the surfaces of your teeth. And make sure sure to wait at least 45 minutes post-drinking to brush your teeth: Scrubbing them immediately while after acid has softened their enamel can leave them even more vulnerable to damage. **Chewable vitamins** They taste just like gummy candy—and they’re not much better for our mouths. In fact, their sticky, sugar-y makeup adheres to teeth so well that they’re just practically bound to cause cavities. **The solution:** Take your vitamins in pill form. While that may not be as fun (or taste nearly as good), neither is a trip to the dentist for a filling. **Barbecue sauce** Backyard barbecues are a summer staple. But most people don’t realize that the thick, sweet sauce marinating your chicken and ribs is also marinating your teeth in sugar (yep, the sauce is full of it), potentially sending you down a road of tooth discoloration and decay if it’s in your mouth long enough. **The solution:** Before you know you’ll be eating ‘cue swipe a (very) thin layer of petroleum jelly over your teeth to create a barrier between the sauce and your enamel. Can’t stand the feeling of the jelly on your teeth? Try to brush right after the [cookout](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306849,00.html) to remove any residue. **Dried fruit** While some fresh fruits are actually considered _good_ for teeth (think water-packed produce like apples and pears), dried fruits never are. This otherwise-nutritious [snack](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/1,,20420278,00.html) is packed with non-cellulose fiber, which traps sugar on and around teeth the way gummy candies (and vitamins) do. **The solution:** Get it off! Brush and floss teeth immediately after eating dried fruit to get rid of any stuck-on sugar. **White wine** [Red wine](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20412238,00.html) tends to get a bad rap for staining teeth—and it does!—but white’s no better for your dental health. The acid in white wine eats away at your enamel and leaves teeth vulnerable to stains from other foods or drinks. **The solution:** Eat more cheese with your wine! It’s rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus, all of which can help buffer the acids vino leaves in your mouth. A less-caloric approach: Gargle with water after drinking to flush away some of the acidity. [_This article originally appeared on Health.com._](http://news.health.com/2015/05/28/5-surprising-things-that-are-ruining-your-teeth/) _More from Health.com:_ * [20 Things That Can Ruin Your Smile](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20398266,00.html) * [The Best Foods for Every Vitamin and Mineral](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20660118,00.html) * [The Health Must-Eat List: Packaged Fruit](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20708204,00.html) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3907886/teeth-damage-causes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3907886/teeth-damage-causes/"},"headline":"5 Surprising Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth","datePublished":"2015-06-05T14:33:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:59:03.087Z","description":"Some juices have higher sugar content than smoothies or soda","url":"https://time.com/3907886/teeth-damage-causes/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","Food & Drink","Healthcare","teeth"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt490fae5046545554/698852e48e0601d69d460ca0/140667390-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chelsea Burns / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt490fae5046545554/698852e48e0601d69d460ca0/140667390-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"orange-juice-glass","caption":"orange-juice-glass","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3907886/teeth-damage-causes/","name":"5 Surprising Things That Are Ruining Your Teeth"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Should I Drink Seltzer Water?","description":"Seltzer -- also known as bubbly water, carbonated water, soda water and sparkling water -- comes with as many health myths as it does names. 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