Foods Beneficial to Your Teeth

What would a dentist eat? Here is a quick list of foods beneficial to your teeth.

To prevent cavities and maintain good oral health, your diet — what you eat and how often you eat — are important factors. Changes in your mouth start the minute you eat certain foods. Bacteria in the mouth convert sugars and carbohydrates from the foods you eat to acids, and it’s the acids that begin to attack the enamel on teeth, starting the decay process. The more often you eat and snack, the more frequently you are exposing your teeth to the cycle of decay.

Mouth-Healthy Foods and Drinks

The best food choices for the health of your mouth include cheeses, chicken or other meats, nuts, and milk. These foods are thought to protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to remineralize teeth (a natural process by which minerals are redeposited in tooth enamel after being removed by acids).

Other food choices include firm/crunchy fruits (for example, apples and pears) and vegetables. These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid). Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and lemons, should be eaten as part of a larger meal to minimize the acid from them(Source: WebMD).

Tea: Compounds called polyphenols, found in black and green teas, slow the growth of bacteria associated with cavities and gum disease.

Cheese: The calcium in cheese is very beneficial to your teeth.

Raisins: Naturally sweet, raisins don’t contain sucrose, or table sugar. Raisins are also a source of phytochemicals, which may kill cavity-causing plaque bacteria.

Crunchy foods: It takes serious chewing to break down foods such as carrots, apples and cucumbers. But all that crunching isn’t in vain. Chewing may disturb dental plaque, and serve as a cleansing mechanism. So instead of remaining in your mouth and settling on teeth, bacteria get cleared away.

Vitamin-rich foods: Foods containing calcium — such as cheese, almonds and leafy greens — and foods high in phosphorous — such as meat, eggs and fish — can help keep tooth enamel strong and healthy, according to the American Dental Association.

Sugarless gum: Pop a stick in your mouth after eating. Chewing boosts saliva secretion, clearing away some bacteria. The keyword here is “sugarless.” Bacteria rely on sucrose to produce plaque.

Cranberries: Cranberries contain polyphenols (just as tea does), which may keep plaque from sticking to teeth, thus lowering the risk of cavities. A caveat: Because the fruit is so tart, many cranberry products have added sugar, which may affect any potential benefits for teeth(Source: Live Science).

Of course regular brushing, flossing and rinsing help keep teeth healthy by getting rid of sugars and food particles that team up with bacteria to form plaque.

Call Graham E. Farless DDS today for an appointment, 336-282-2868. Visit his practice online at www.gsodentist.com.