When Good Foods Are Bad for You

High-Grit and Acidic Foods

High-grit foods and/or grains (such as the whole cracked-grain pieces common in organic bread or coarsely ground stone-ground whole grains -- especially if they contain stone powder or sand) and acidic foods (such as carbonated drinks, uncooked vinegar, uncooked tomato, citrus -- especially lemon -- and ceviche)

Odontolysis

Odontolysis is the degeneration or wearing down of teeth by excessive chewing of high-grit foods and/or grains or excessive use of acidic liquids.

"For acidic foods, concentration and time of contact are what matters. For instance, drinking lemon juice is a relatively short exposure, but sucking a lemon for the same total intake is a much longer and damaging exposure. For acidic odontolysis, the process is to dissolve the enamel and dentin of the teeth. For grits and grains, the process is simple wear, like filing down your teeth...only slower. Unfortunately, odontolysis is not reversible, and it predisposes one to cavities and broken teeth," says Ramirez.