What Foods You Can Include And Avoid For Healthier Teeth?

Introduction

What you consume through foods and liquids impact the state of your teeth to a large extent. Each day, you may be going about your routine, utterly unaware of foods that could be damaging your teeth.

There are certain food items that can also help in keeping your teeth healthy. Given below are some of the best foods that you can consume to maintain your teeth in good health.

Best Foods For Healthy Teeth

Cheese

Here’s another reason to indulge in a sinful bite of cheesy dips. It has been found that cheese contains compounds that significantly lower the pH level of the mouth. This directly implies that it reduces the risk of tooth decay.

Also, dentists believe that the increase in chewing, which is typically required to ingest cheese, directly increases the saliva content in the mouth. Cheese is also rich in calcium and proteins, which can lead to the strengthening of the tooth enamel.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains probiotics that can be highly beneficial for the gums, and the good bacteria can draw out the harmful bacteria from the mouth and prevent cavities. It is best to go for a plain variety with no added sugars. Incidentally, it is also high in calcium and proteins, which can strengthen the teeth.

Greens

Leafy green vegetables are not merely good for your overall health but also for your teeth. Their high vitamin and mineral content makes them vital for good oral health. Rich in calcium, they can aid in the repair of tooth enamel.

Leafy greens are also rich in folic acid, which can help in the prevention of gum-related diseases in pregnant women. They are straightforward to incorporate into your regular diet.

Apples

Some fruits, such as apples, might be sweet, but their high fiber and water content make them useful for your teeth in many ways. Eating apples creates more saliva in the mouth, which is suitable for rinsing away bacteria from the mouth. The unique fibrous texture of the fruit also makes it stimulating for the gums.

Carrots

Same as apples, the crunchy and fibrous carrots can significantly reduce the incidence of cavity formation in the mouth. They are rich in Vitamin A, which is quite essential for your overall health.

Almonds

Being rich in calcium and protein, almonds are perfect for the health of your teeth. They have a shallow sugar content in them, which makes them ideal for snacking.

Celery

The string-like texture of celery can scrap out the food particles out of your teeth and eliminate the possibility of bacterial build-up. The lavish Vitamin A and C content in celery also proves to be beneficial for gum health.

Regular consumption of these food items can lend you a healthy set of teeth. But are there any foods which are not healthy and best teeth whitening picks for you? Take a look at the top foods which you can avoid if you wish to maintain your teeth in a healthy state.

Bad Foods For Your Teeth

Candies

Candies can be rich in a variety of acids, which can deteriorate the condition of your teeth. Their chewy texture makes them stick to the surface of your teeth and lead to tooth decay. There are many alternatives to your sweet cravings, which can be easily washed away and chewed quickly.

Bread

The starch in slices of bread is broken down into sugar during the chewing process. The resulting gummy substances can easily stick between your teeth and lead to the formation of cavities. You can easily switch to better alternatives such as whole wheat options, which are less refined and contain far fewer sugars in them.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol dries out your mouth. Did you know that dry mouth means a lack of saliva? Saliva has many roles to play when it comes to the health of your teeth.

It usually prevents the food from sticking to the teeth and also aids in keeping gum diseases and oral infections at bay. You will need to keep your mouth hydrated additionally after consuming alcohol to prevent drying it out.

Fizzy drinks

Consuming carbonated drinks in large quantities can be highly damaging to your teeth. Soda drinks can allow the existing plaque in your mouth to release even more acids, which in turn, are responsible for attacking the tooth enamel. It might not be wrong to say that you are coating your teeth with acids if you consume soda regularly.

Dark-colored soda can also lead to staining of your teeth. The same as alcohol, these drinks have a drying effect in your mouth.

Ice

Chewing a bit of ice might appear harmless, but if the dental experts are to be believed, the act can lead to broken, chipped, and cracked teeth and ultimately damage the tooth enamel.

Potato Chips

The huge starchy content of potato chips makes them a ticking time bomb for your teeth. All of it will be broken down into sugars, which will stick in between your teeth and ultimately become food for the bacteria, which forms plaque.

The problem intensifies since you are unlikely to stop at a single bite. Eating a bag full of chips ensures that the acid production lingers on your teeth for quite some time, which is the source of inviting many dental problems.

Dried Fruits

Dried fruits tend to appeal many in the name of healthy snacking. However, a few of them, such as prunes, figs, raisins, and apricots, tend to be sticky in texture. After consumption, they are highly likely to cling to the surface of the teeth and leave a thick load of sugars behind them.

Conclusion

Teeth are irreplaceable and are meant to last with you for a lifetime unless you opt for a dental replacement. You can always visit a teeth whitening dentist in case your teeth have become stained, but more considerable damage will require more extensive treatments. You may also check out this dentist in lancaster for all your dental needs.

Although it is not possible to avoid each of these items, you can still follow a few essential tips to ensure that your teeth are maintained in good health.

Drinking plenty of water and consuming healthy foods with low sugar content are few ways to keep your teeth healthy. Brushing twice a day is the bare minimum necessity for good teeth.

About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.