Looking after your teeth is just as important as your health. Most of us are fully aware that eating too much sugar is likely to result in cavities if we're not careful with dental hygiene. However, it's not only unhealthy food such as cakes, sweets and ice cream that can ruin your teeth. There are a few healthy foods to watch out for which are just as capable of wreaking havoc on your teeth.

Here are 5 healthy foods that can wreck your teeth.


1. Fresh and dried fruit

Fresh fruit is healthy, full of vitamins, colorful and makes an ideal snack. But the reason fruit is so deliciously sweet is because it's full of natural sugar. And dried fruit has substantially more sugar because it’s concentrated. Fresh fruit which is high in sugar includes bananas, oranges, grapes, mangoes, apples, pears and pineapples and dried fruits to watch out for are those such as raisins, apricots, figs and dates. Don't forget about fruit juices either, which are generally also high in sugar. Try to vary your fruit intake and chew sugar free gum afterwards to neutralize the fruit acids.

2. Smoothies

Smoothies which may be made from a combination of fruit and yogurt or juice, are generally very healthy and are a tasty way of including extra fruit in the diet. But many smoothies are exceptionally high in sugar content. As well as the naturally occurring fruit sugars, shop bought smoothies may have been further sweetened with more sugar or honey. Check for added sugars when buying smoothies or better still, make your own.

3. Breakfast cereals

Breakfast cereals are often fortified with vitamins and minerals. Plus many of them are high in fiber and wholegrains, so make a healthy addition to your diet. But even those which don’t come with an obvious coating of sugar, can still contain high levels of hidden sugar to make them palatable. Even 'healthy' sounding mueslis which state they have no added sugar, can contain lots of natural sugars in the form of dried fruit, which of course, have a high sugar content.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt is an exceptionally healthy food. It's rich in calcium which is essential for healthy bone growth, plus it's a good source of protein. And because it contains friendly bacteria it helps keep the digestive system functioning well. While yogurt in its natural form may be very healthy, it's not always pleasing to the palate. Therefore, manufacturers sweeten it with sugar and fruit, turning a healthy yogurt into a high sugar product. For more tooth friendly yogurts, opt for natural plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with a sweetener if necessary, or choose 'diet' yogurts rather than 'low fat' varieties which may have even more sugar than regular yogurt.

5. Nuts, seeds and grains

Nuts, seeds and grains all make a valuable contribution to our health and should be included as far as possible in our daily diet. However, they have one thing in common – they’re all crunchy. Some are exceptionally hard to bite and can take a toll on your teeth. So if you have several fillings, or your teeth are worn down or fragile, biting on crunchy food can result in broken fillings, or chipped teeth. Take care when eating raw nuts and seeds and watch out for hidden seeds and grains in granary or multi-seeded bread and rolls as well as fruit and nut mueslis.

Just because a food is good for your body, doesn't mean it's good for your teeth. Some healthy foods are high in sugar while others are hard to bite. However, there’s no need to give up these healthy foods for the sake of your teeth. Just make sensible food swaps where you can and remember to clean your teeth as soon as possible after eating or chew on sugar free gum in the meantime.