The Best Foods for Healthy Teeth

Good dental health is not only a matter of brushing, flossing and regular dental visits, it can also be affected by the foods you eat. We’ve all heard that sugar ad sugary foods are bad for your teeth, but so are a lot of other foods, like those high in acids. On the other hand, there are a number of foods that can actually improve your diet and the health of your mouth. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), the following foods should make an appearance in your mouth-healthy diet. Here are some must-haves foods for healthy teeth that Lifezfood has listed

Chewy candy

The stickier the candy, the worse it tends to be for your teeth. Extra-chewy candies—like taffy, caramels, or Jujyfruits—stick to (and between) teeth for a long time, allowing the bacteria in our mouths to feast leisurely on the deposited sugar. “Bacteria burns sugar to make acid, which dissolves the protective layer of tooth enamel and causes cavities,” Messina explains.

Candies that are chewy, sugary, and acidic—a category that includes many “sour” varieties—deliver a “triple whammy of negatives,” Messina adds, because they carry their own payload of erosive acid, in addition to that produced by the interaction of sugar and bacteria.

Soda

It’s no secret that drinking too many sugary sodas can breed cavities. What’s less well-known is that the acids found in carbonated soft drinks appear to harm teeth even more than the sugar. The upshot? Even sugar-free diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi—which both contain citric and phosphoric acid—can erode enamel if consumed in large doses.

If you can’t do without soda, your best bet is to drink it during a meal, rather than sipping it throughout the day. The food will help neutralize the acid, Messina says, and “the time of exposure to the acid is much shorter.”

Leafy Greens

You won’t find any healthy diet that doesn’t include a hearty amount of leafy greens. Kale and spinach promote oral health by providing calcium, which can boost your teeth’s enamel. They also offer folic acid, a B-vitamin that can possibly treat gum disease in pregnant women. The extra benefit is that they are low in calories.

Oranges

The soft tissues in your mouth are vulnerable to infection, irritation, and gingivitis. It’s crucial that maintaining these tissues with flossing and massaging become part of your dental routine. Another way to keep them healthy is by eating oranges. Oranges and other citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. This powerful antioxidant helps your gums fend off gingivitis and other oral infections. When the gums are strong and healthy, your teeth are less likely to become loose. One study even proved that periodontitis, or gum disease, is associated with low levels of vitamin C.

You can keep your gums and soft tissues healthy by eating oranges and other citrus fruits. If you prefer to drink orange juice overeating them, make it yourself. Store-bought orange juices often contain extra sugar that isn’t good for your teeth. Juice your own oranges and add them to smoothies.

Salmon

Above we discussed the importance of calcium in promoting oral health. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how much cheese you eat if your body doesn’t have enough vitamin D to process it. Vitamin D is responsible for enabling the body to absorb and make use of calcium. Salmon is one of the best foods for getting your vitamin D intake.

Besides vitamin D, salmon also has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats are crucial for overall health and preventing oral disease. In one study, omega-3s were proven to be associated with lower incidences of periodontal disease. The study suggested that Canadians get at least two servings of long chain omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon) per week.

Instead of throwing beef burgers on the BBQ tonight, why not try salmon burgers? You can cook them on the BBQ; place the fillets in aluminum foil with your marinade of choice. Once they’re cooked, throw them on toasted buns with coleslaw and dill pickle slices!

Raisins

Naturally sweet raisins contain phytochemicals like oleanolic acid that inhibit two species of oral bacteria to prevent cavities and gum disease. Unsweetened cranberries contain polyphenols, which may keep plaque from sticking to teeth, thus lowering the risk of cavities.