Prosthodontics, Implants, Cosmetic & Reconstructive Dentistry

The Best Foods for Your Teeth

What you eat is critical in determining your dental health. When you drink or eat sugar or starchy foods, you slowly bring dental problems to your life. It's true to say that you are feeding bacteria, which will cause gum diseases and tooth decay. The foods will cover your teeth with a thick substance commonly known as plaque.

The plaque will facilitate the growth of bacteria, which fight your teeth. Therefore it's recommended you consider the foods and drinks you take. If you are unaware of the best foods for your teeth, you may contact your dental expert, who will guide you. The best foods for your dental health include the foods which help you keep the teeth strong and include leafy greens, grains, carrots, oranges, garlic, eggs, Almonds, among other foods. For more information, you can follow the foods discussed below for the benefits of your dental health:

Leafy Greens

Vegetables constitute many health benefits to your body and even your teeth. They provide minerals and vitamins to your teeth. The vegetables require excess chewing, which stimulates the production of saliva. Again, vegetables help your salivary glands to produce more saliva, which cleans your teeth. Also, the saliva will keep your enamel healthy.

Leafy greens full of vitamins and minerals and low in calories are spinach, kale, collard, and chard. If you want healthy teeth, you can eat as many vegetables as you want. The listed above leafy greens are rich in calcium, vitamin B, and folic acid, which boosts your health. Vitamin C helps protect the gums and body tissue from cell damage and even bacterial infection.

Apples and Pears

Eating apples provide your teeth and gums with crunchy stimulation, which naturally reduces plaque in the teeth. Apples provide fiber and hydration for your body. Again they increase salivation. Excess saliva will neutralize citric acid left by other foods in the mouth. The excess saliva, too, will flash away bacteria and lower the rates of tooth decay. You have to note that sugary apple juices easily contribute to tooth decay. Fresh apples are less likely to lead to problems since they stimulate the gums when you chew their fibrous texture. It further reduces bacteria that would cause cavities.

Pears are high in water content which dilutes their crunchy texture. Their crunchy texture stimulates saliva production; the saliva washes away all the food particles and bacteria in your teeth. Pears are less acidic fruits and cannot easily damage your teeth' enamel. Pears reduce the acidity level of plaque in the mouth, preventing your teeth from decaying.

Celery and Carrots

Celery is a high-fiber vegetable. The crunchy clean your teeth on every delicious bite. The veg requires a lot of chewing and, in turn, produces saliva. The bacteria-fighting saliva cleans your teeth because its texture easily scraps leftover food particles and bacteria away from your teeth. Celery and carrots are rich sources of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin A.

Carrots require excess biting and crunching, which stimulates the gum tissues. So by eating them, they physically do away with the remaining food particles and plaque. Again, excess vitamin C, keratin, and calcium. Eating fresh carrots helps clean your teeth. Carrots act like natural toothbrushes. When combined with saliva, the carrot washes away all the stain-causing bacteria in the teeth. Again, the carrot washes away all the food particles in your mouth.

Black and Green Tea

Green tea is well known for overall dental health. It is rich in antioxidants. It also prevents bad breath by doing away with all microbes, which cause a bad odor in the mouth. Green tea also contains anti-inflammatory qualities that help control periodontal disease. It also kills oral bacteria, resulting in cavities or plaque in the mouth. Again, drinking green tea may reduce mouth cancer.

Black tea contains polyphenols that interact with the bacteria causing germs in the mouth and suppressing or killing them. The bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugary leftovers in your mouth; afterward, they excrete tooth enamel, destroying acids. Green and white tea assist your teeth by producing plaque-fighting ingredients. This makes tea the best option for you after every meal since it helps suppress Bacteria producing acids in the mouth. In turn, it helps prevent inflation and also fights oral cancer.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains a CBH compound that makes it best for your teeth. The compound hardens your teeth' enamel. When the teeth are hardened, they have fewer chances of decaying. Remember, not every kind of chocolate is good for your teeth. The cocoa bean is the best and not the chocolate itself. Therefore, when purchasing, opt for dark chocolate. Dark chocolates contain less sugar and are considered antioxidants. The molecular component of dark chocolate will prevent you from mouth cancer. If you have braces, you want to store your chocolate at room temperature. Excess acid or hard chocolate can be too hard for you to bite.

Nuts and Almonds

Chewing nuts helps keep your teeth healthy. The nuts contain important components like phosphorus and calcium. Examples of calcium-rich nuts include almonds, cashew, and brazil nuts. Peanuts, too, are a great source of vitamin D and calcium. The calcium present in nuts is beneficial to your gums and teeth. Chewing nuts helps stimulate saliva. Increased saliva production washes away the food particles present in the mouth, leaving your mouth clean. Generally, nuts are healthy for your teeth since they contain everything from vitamin E, vitamin B6, zinc, potassium iron, folic acid, magnesium, fiber, thiamine, etc.

Almonds are a super tooth-healthy snack. Almonds contain less sugar which cannot accumulate as plaque in your teeth. Almonds are good sources of calcium which strengthens your teeth. At the same time, they are rich in proteins. They can protect your teeth against destructive bacteria, which may lead to gum diseases. Again, almonds lower blood sugar while increasing saliva production in the mouth.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have great anti-inflammatory properties which prevent periodontal diseases. Again, they are rich sources of vitamin A. Vitamin A maintains mucous membranes and all other soft tissues of the gums in the mouth. The vitamin maintains protein keratin. Protein keratin is an agent that helps form and repairs tooth enamel. Vitamin A promotes saliva production, crucial for cleaning destructive bacteria and food particles between gums and teeth.

Using Toothpaste Containing Fluoride

Fluoride helps prevent your teeth from decaying. It does so by building strong bones and teeth. Mostly, you will notice toothpaste and water contain fluoride. Choosing a toothpaste containing fluoride helps your teeth absorb these minerals. The minerals in fluoride make your teeth resistant to acid. Apart from toothpaste and water, you can obtain fluoride from seafood. The oceans contain natural sodium fluoride, which is absorbed by sea creatures.

Drinking water

Water is also basic and the healthiest drink for your teeth. Saliva constitutes 99.5percent water. Lack of water in the mouth lowers the level of your saliva. So it will wreak havoc in the mouth. Much water in your saliva is essential as it will help break down food and neutralize the level of bacterial acid.

It also acts as a good cleanser. When you drink a lot of water, it keeps your mouth moist. Moist mouth prevents bacteria, leading to cavities, bad breath, and gum disease. Water still aids in reducing plaque by rinsing all the food debris. Rinsing your mouth with water after meals or drinks helps reduce staining to your teeth. Drink at least eight cups of water daily

Consume Cheese

Cheese is among the best meals for your teeth. It helps combat acid, which erodes your teeth. When you consume bread, soda, citrus, or sweet meals, you expose your teeth to an acid that causes tooth decay. Eating cheeses after your meals helps fight the acid left by the meals. Soft cheese, including stilton, brie, blues, and aged cheddars, are the best options to use for your teeth.

Again, it is low in sugar but high in calcium. The calcium helps in maintaining bone density. It also constitutes casein, a protein necessary for forming tooth enamel. Also, cheese is rich in phosphate. The phosphate helps balance the PH levels in the mouth and preserves the tooth enamel. Chewing cheese accelerates saliva production. Increased saliva will help prevent tooth problems, including tooth decay, as it washes away any bacteria and food particles in your mouth.

Fish and Meat

Calcium helps protect your teeth and gums from diseases. Your teeth cannot absorb all that calcium if you don’t have enough vitamin D. A deficiency in vitamin D leads to dry mouth, resulting in more serious dental health like tooth decay and gum diseases. Your teeth will obtain diseases fighting benefits. Salmon and tofu are rich in phosphorus that protects your teeth' enamel. Again, eating fish can help your gums recover easily while treating gum diseases.

Meat and poultry are rich in phosphorus and protein, which keep your teeth healthy. Chewing meat produces saliva, which is best in reducing acidity levels in your mouth. The produced saliva washes away food particles which could lead to tooth decay. Both red meat and organ meat are beneficial to your teeth.

Raw Onions

You find it fancy taking raw onions, rights? You must note that papering your salad with raw onion is very important. Onions contain antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help prevent diseases. Consuming raw onions strengthens your teeth and kills harmful bacteria in your mouth. Raw onions will help strengthen your teeth. In addition, the onion will help do away with the damaging bacteria in the mouth and even in the body. Onions come with other benefits like detoxing the body, fighting inflammation, and aiding osteoporosis.

Eating Oranges

Oranges are citrus fruits that are high in sugar and acid. Oranges contain vitamin C, known for supporting tooth and bone health. The vitamin C present in citrus helps strengthen your blood vessels. Again, it slows down the progression of gum illness by reducing inflammation. Therefore take as many oranges as possible to help develop strong teeth.

Cranberries and Raisin

Cranberries and their juice promise to protect your teeth. They are rich in polyphenols[present in tea]. The berries provide antioxidant benefits. Cranberries are very effective in destroying the formation of plaques in the teeth. When purchasing, you must note that some packed dried cranberries contain added sugar and are not best for your teeth.

Raisins contain a phytochemical found in plants named oleanolic acid. Oleanolic acid is very important in your teeth since it inhibits the growth of two types of mouth bacteria. The first one is streptococcus mutans which cause cavities in your teeth. The second one is porphyromonas gingivalis, which results in periodontal disease. Oleanolic acid in resins suppresses the growth of any bacteria associated with cavities or gum diseases in the mouth. Therefore, the phytochemicals in raisins are very important for healthy teeth since they help in fighting bacteria which causes gum diseases and cavities.

Consume Strawberries

Strawberries are fruits packed with vitamin C. vitamin C is well known since it provides antioxidant properties. Again vitamin C helps in the growth and repair of all worn-out tissues in the body- this includes the mouth. Again vitamin Contains malic acid, which could naturally whiten your teeth. Therefore include strawberries in your diet to help build and develop strong teeth.

Diary products

Dairy products include yogurt, cheese, and milk. The products encourage the body to produce saliva. Again yogurt contains high calcium for strengthening your teeth. The yogurt too contains probiotics or essential bacteria for your digestive system. When purchasing, remember to choose unsweetened or sugar-free yogurt. You can also purchase nut milk like soy, almond, or cashew milk. The milk is rich in protein and calcium.

Broccoli and Kiwis

Fresh broccoli offers vitamin K and vitamin C in your body. The vitamins are essential for bone health, blood clotting, and bone health. Vitamin C present in broccoli helps in keeping your gums healthy. It also constitutes a sulforaphane vitamin which prevents oral cancer. Again, broccoli is natural teeth cleaner. Broccoli also contains kaempferol nutrient that protects your teeth from periodontal diseases. The vegetable keeps your smile healthy due to the iron content that forms a protective coating on the tooth Enamel.

Kiwi is a fruit that contains fiber and calcium, best known for benefiting your teeth. The fruit offers a very high concentration of vitamin C. Vitamin C destroys foreign microorganisms by increasing the production of blood cells. The effects improve your body's resistance against infections, including tooth decay and gum diseases. It also helps in protection against gum inflation.

Shiitake Mushroom

Shiitake mushroom contains an antibacterial and antimicrobial substance, lain. Lenin fights the formation of plaque in your mouth. Again, Lenin kills all cavities causing bacteria, leaving the good bacteria unaffected. Mushrooms have chemicals that prevent the formation of gum disease and cavities. You can eat the mushrooms raw in salads, or you fry them. The shiitake mushroom, too, prevents your gums from inflation. This makes it one of the best meals to consume so that you keep your teeth healthy.

Candy and Sugar-Free Gums

Do you know candy or gum can be good for your teeth? According to Dr. Cattanese, sugar-free products make your salivary glands produce more saliva. Therefore it encounters the acid in the mouth and helps prevent decay of your teeth. a person is more prone to developing cavities when they have a dry mouth. That’s why sugar-free gum and candy are essential for your teeth. But the dental experts recommend you stay away from sour candies to prevent dental sensitivity, among other dental problems.

Liver and Seeds

The liver contains vitamin D. The vitamin turns into calcium once in our body. In turn, calcium helps our teeth grow stronger. Although not tasty, the liver has iron, vitamin C, and vitamin A, essential for our dental health.

Alternatively, chia seeds, sesame, and poppy make our teeth stronger. Also, the seeds' rough texture helps clean the plaque on our teeth. However, do not let seeds pesky remain or stick on your teeth for a long period.

Using Garlic

The last essential food for our teeth is garlic. Although it might seem bad for our breath, it is essential for our oral health. The herb is usually known to add a flavor to our dishes. It contains allicin which plays a major role in acting as an antibacterial. A study in 2011 proved garlic can be important in preventing dental problems like gum diseases and tooth decay. Therefore keep on using garlic to build and grow stronger teeth.

Contact a Tarzana Dentist

When you seek to avoid teeth decay, tooth sensitivity, staining, and a dark smile, the above foods will play a major role in your dental health. Eat them regularly to develop good dental health. But remember, no matter the foods you are taking, the main essential thing you want to do is keep your teeth clean, floss, and visit a dental expert at least twice per year. A skilled dental expert is essential for your dental health. At Tarzana Dental Care, we are ready to help you build good dental health. We advise on the best foods for your teeth and treat the dental patients in Tarzana, CA. Contact us at 818-708-3232, and we will help you treat and avoid dental problems.