You’ve probably heard about which foods to eat for better health and which to avoid. Did you know certain foods are especially good for your teeth? Other foods are bad for your teeth, including some of the most common “unhealthy” culprits.
Woodhill Dental Specialties wants you to have the healthiest smile possible. That includes brushing and flossing regularly and visiting your dentist. However, good dental care also includes eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones.
What are the best foods for your teeth? What nutrients reduce cavities in children? What foods cause cavities? Let’s explore the best things to eat or drink to improve dental health.
Your teeth need nutrients as much as the rest of your body to stay strong and healthy. Each tooth has three main layers — the enamel, the dentin, and the pulp.
The enamel is the hard outer shell that protects the tooth’s living interior. The dentin is the softer inner shell. The pulp holds the nerves and blood vessels of the tooth.
The enamel is your tooth’s first line of defense, so it’s important to keep it strong. Fluoride is the best way to do this. This mineral reacts with your saliva to absorb into and strengthen the enamel.
The most common sources of fluoride are toothpaste and tap water. However, you can find fluoride naturally in some foods.
You’ve probably heard doctors and dentists encourage you to eat a balanced diet and foods for better teeth, gums, and overall health. Which foods specifically are foods good for teeth? Some of the best foods for teeth may seem obvious, but others may not.
Generally, if it’s good for your body, it’s good food for teeth. Foods high in calcium are the most obvious candidates — dairy products. However, your teeth and gums need more than calcium to be healthy. They also need foods rich in magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, C, and D.
Fluoride is the best enamel booster you can have. Many cities and municipalities add fluoride to their tap water to protect teeth, particularly in children. It’s important to your overall health to drink as much water as possible, but drinking tap water will improve the strength of your enamel, too. Plus, refilling your bottle with tap water saves a lot of plastic water bottles every year!
Black tea also contains fluoride and antioxidants that improve the health of your teeth and gums. It’s best not to add sugar or honey to your tea to decrease tooth decay risk.
Milk helps your teeth since it is a significant source of calcium. But did you know certain nuts, like almonds, also contain calcium? Milk and nuts also contain protein, which helps keep your gums strong and healthy.
Certain foods contain fluoride, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. Here are some top foods that supply fluoride to help your teeth:
Some foods can help prevent tartar buildup on your teeth. What is tartar? It’s created when plaque builds up on your teeth and hardens. Tartar traps bacteria against your teeth and can accelerate tooth decay. It can only be removed professionally.
Brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice daily is the best way to prevent tartar buildup. Drinking lots of water will also help rinse plaque and bacteria and to avoid tartar buildup. Certain foods can also help.
Raw carrots and celery scrub plaque off your teeth as you eat them; apples and pears do, too. Strawberries and citrus fruits such as oranges and pineapples can reduce bacteria. Hard cheeses can also scrape plaque from your teeth while eating.
The other benefit of eating these foods is that they increase saliva production. Your saliva helps clean off your teeth and interacts with the fluoride in some of these foods to strengthen your enamel.
While fruits and vegetables are good for your teeth, food and drinks can do more harm than good. You'd be correct if you’re thinking “junk food” or sugary foods are the top culprits.
Potato chips, tortilla chips, candies, cookies, pudding, high-sugar “fruit” juices, coffee loaded with cream, sugar, flavored syrups, and wine can all damage your teeth. Why? Most contain high levels of processed sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, leaving a lot of plaque on teeth. They also don’t stimulate saliva as much.
Processed sugar and corn syrup add plaque to teeth, but some junk foods, such as certain candies and drinks, also contain acids that can eat away the minerals in tooth enamel. This bad combination can cause cavities or demineralize enamel if you wear braces.
What about sodas? People think “sugar-free” sodas are safe. Can diet sodas cause cavities? The answer is yes. Though they lack sugar, they contain acids that can eat away at your tooth enamel and accelerate tooth decay.
Non-diet sodas are worse because they contain high levels of sugar. Watch out for “power” drinks and sports drinks, too. They also contain added sugar that can increase bacteria in the mouth.
Energy drinks may claim to be healthy because they contain everything from added vitamins and minerals to antioxidants and electrolytes. However, they also claim to boost your energy and usually do it with caffeine and sugar. All that sugar can cause cavities in your teeth.
Brushing and flossing are vital to excellent oral health. You should also visit your dentist twice yearly for a professional cleaning. In between those vital tasks, a proper diet can improve your oral health.
If you’re still concerned about tooth decay, there are other ways we can help protect your or your child’s teeth. Schedule an appointment with Woodhill Dental Specialties in Dallas, TX, or Rockwall, TX, to learn how to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
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