This article is about the “tradie’s brekky” and how it harms teeth.

The tradie’s brekky is a meat pie, a big iced coffee, energy drinks and a smoke or vape.

Meat pie

• Processed meat and fat can make gums swollen. This can lead to gum disease.
• The pastry turns into sugar in the mouth. Germs feed on it and cause decay.

Iced coffee

• It usually has lots of sugar.
• Caffeine can dry the mouth. Saliva (spit) protects teeth, so a dry mouth is bad.
• It has milk and calcium, so it is still better than soft drinks and energy drinks.

Energy drinks

• They have sugar, acid and caffeine. This is the worst mix for teeth.
• Acid makes the outside of the teeth weak. This causes decay, wear and sensitive teeth.

Smoking and vaping

• They cause gum disease, dry mouth, stains, bad breath and mouth cancer.
• If you change only one thing, stop smoking or vaping.

Better choices

• A fresh sandwich instead of a pie.
• Coffee without sugar.
• A big bottle of water.