What you eat can have a major effect on the health of your teeth and gums. Most people already know about things to avoid, such as coffee and tea that can stain your teeth, or sugar foods that feed bacteria in the mouth. But what about foods that actually help your mouth remain healthy and keep teeth enamel strong? This is what you need to know about how food choices play an important role in preventing tooth decay and gum disease.
Water
Drinking plenty of water is a great way to naturally clean teeth because water can help wash away build up or particles in the mouth. Staying hydrated also ensures that your mouth is producing the saliva it needs to clean teeth and properly break down food for digestion.
Fruits and Vegetables
You may have heard people refer to apples as “nature’s toothbrushes” before, and in a way this is true of many crunchy fruits and vegetables. These foods have a high water content which helps wash away the sugars that are also contained in the food. The firm texture of many fruits and veggies also helps naturally clean tooth enamel.
Dairy
Dairy foods like milk and cheese contain calcium which helps build strong tooth enamel. The minerals in dairy foods also help the body create new layers of enamel on teeth.
Sugar and Sugar Substitutes
Sugar is one of the worst things for oral health because an accumulation of sugar in the mouth leads to a buildup of bacteria. If you have a sweet tooth that you just can’t seem to get rid of, however, there may be hope in the form of sugar substitutes. Substitute sugars like saccharin, advantame and aspartame are thought to be safe for oral health because they generally do not produce the same acids that cause decay as regular, naturally-occurring sugars do.
Eating right most of the time doesn’t just help keep your mouth healthy, it also helps promote good health overall.
