On a cold Friday night, there is nothing more tempting than a takeaway.
But not only can these dishes wreak havoc on our waistlines, they can also damage our teeth, according to a leading dentist.
Here, Dr Sameer Patel, a dentist at Harley Street’s Elleven practice, lays out the hidden dangers in the most popular takeaway foods..
INDIAN AND CHINESE: TOOTH STAINING
It's not just dark beverages such as tea and coffee that will stain your teeth - any heavily pigmented food can lead to tooth discoloration - and curry powder is one such culprit.
While this staple ingredient of Indian cuisine isn’t particularly dark, the deep pigment can stain teeth yellow over time.
Dark liquids used to flavour foods, such as soy sauce, can produce the same effect.
So if you do eat sushi or Chinese food, use the soy sauce sparingly.
Indian and Chinese takeaways contain curry powder and soy source, dark pigments that can stain teeth over time. 'Anything that would stain a white T-shirt is likely to stain the surface of your teeth in the same way,' Dr Patel says. Eating broccoli or spinach can form a protective film over teeth
Dr Patel advises using the example of a white T-shirt: anything that would stain this is likely to stain the surface of your teeth in the same way.
He also recommends eating an appetiser of spinach or broccoli first, as these green veggies form a protective film over teeth, making them less porous and susceptible to staining.
Opting for lighter coloured condiments such as rice vinegar or lemon is also advisable, he says.
Believe it or not, the foods you eat can have a big impact on the health of the joints in your jaw.
As a result, the tough texture of the meat used for kebabs is sometimes associated with jaw ache.
Eating a high amount of very chewy foods can overwork and overextend your jaw – leading to strains.
‘Any time you overuse a certain set of muscles, it can lead to contracted muscles and related pain, including headaches, and toothaches over time,' Dr Sameer explains.
Most obviously, try limiting the number of problem foods you consume and be sure to distribute the way you chew your food evenly around the mouth.
ITALIAN: ACID EROSION
Pizza and pasta are two of the most popular dishes in the UK and are rarely associated with tooth decay.
However, white pizza bases and pastas are refined carbohydrates which contain simple sugars that dissolve quickly.
This causes a surge of acid inside the mouth and when combined with the acidity of tomatoes, can erode tooth enamel and ultimately lead to sensitivity.
These foods also take on a gummy consistency when chewed that can allow small particles to get trapped between teeth and stick to the surface.
Flossing as part of your daily oral hygiene routine is the most effective way to remove trapped food and chewing sugar-free chewing gum can limit damage by making your mouth produce more saliva - helping to cancel out the acid in your mouth after eating or drinking.
FISH AND CHIPS: TOOTH DECAY
Starchy foods are notorious for getting stuck in between your teeth and lodged between crevices.
While they may not necessarily taste sweet, the starches can begin converting to sugar almost immediately through the pre-digestive process that begins in the mouth.
Processed foods are also notorious for using sugar as a preservative or flavour enhancer: ‘sugar can come in many different forms and the batter on fish and associated sauces such as ketchup, are culprits for having a high sugar content,' Dr Sameer said.
While limiting sugar intake to meal times is not a cause for concern, snacking on starchy foods at regular intervals is what can cause problems.
Dr Sameer advises rinsing your mouth with water after eating to help fight tooth decay.
‘This washes away trapped food, whilst the fluoride content fights against bacteria and prevents mineral loss in tooth enamel,' he said.
THAI: ENAMEL WEARING
The delicious sticky sauces and little nuts and seeds that you come across in most Thai dishes are very damaging to your tooth enamel.
The small nuts and seeds tend to get stuck in between the teeth and are not easily rinsed away, so the sugars in them have longer to wear down your enamel, harming your teeth.
To combat this, Dr Sameer Patel advises to floss afterwards and chew sugar-free chewing gum to dislodge the food residue.
Do not brush straight after eating as this will cause the food residue to get further lodged in between the teeth and cause further damage.
