Chew On This Health
Sugar, Coffee, Oranges, OH MY! As we know, there are many foods and liquids out there that can break down and deteriorate the strength and health of your teeth. Regular brushing and flossing help keep teeth healthy by getting rid of sugars and food particles that team up with bacteria to form plaque. Plaque produces acid that damages tooth enamel, disease.
8 Foods For Healthy Teeth
Just as a growing body of research indicates that “functional foods” may keep your heart healthy, there has been great support that certain other foods may be good for teeth, too! Drinking tea, eating raisins and cheese are just a few items that made it on the list.
Tea
Enzymes found in green and black teas are shown to slow the growth of bacteria associated with cavities and gum disease. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that people who rinsed their mouths with black tea for one minute, 10 times a day, had less plaque buildup on their teeth than people who rinsed their mouths with water. Tea undermines the ability of some bacteria to clump together with other bacteria, the researchers said.
Cheese
Not only is it delicious, but cheese helps to neutralize the plaque acid and level pH balance in your mouth. After eating the foods, the adolescents and teens rinsed their mouths with water. The acid, or pH, levels in their mouths were then measured 10, 20 and 30 minutes after rinsing. Cheese may neutralize the plaque acid, said Wu, who was not involved in the cheese study.
Raisins
Although a sweet treat, raisins don’t contain sucrose or table sugar – both of which help bacteria stick to your teeth and build up plaque. Sugar helps bacteria stick to the tooth surface, letting them produce plaque, Wu said. Raisins also include phytochemicals – a cavity-causing plaque-bacteria killer.
Crunchy Foods
Although some crunchy foods can harm your teeth, some can help Crunching down on some apples, carrots or some celery can work like a natural toothbrush, cleaning teeth and clearing away plaque. It takes serious chewing to break down foods such as carrots, apples and cucumbers. But all that crunching isn’t in vain.
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. Vitamin rich foods can help to redeposit minerals into your teeth keeping them healthy and strong.
Sugarless Gum
Pop a stick in your mouth after eating. Chewing boosts saliva secretion, clearing away some bacteria, Wu said. The keyword here is “sugarless.”Chew down on some sugarless gum when done eating. The chewing motion and increase in saliva secretion helps to clear away bacteria left on your teeth.
Milk
In a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association in July, Wu and her team found that drinking a glass of milk after downing dry, sugar-sweetened Fruit Loops lowered levels of acid in the mouth more than drinking water or apple juice did. Milk is a powerhouse when it comes to healthy teeth. Rich in calcium, Milk helps to neutralize acid produced by plaque bacteria, but also helps build strong teeth and bones.
Cranberries
Cranberries contain polyphenols, which may keep plaque from sticking to teeth, thus lowering the risk of cavities, according to a study published in the journal Caries Research. Similar to tea, cranberries contain polyphenols that fight plaque from sticking to teeth, reducing the risk of cavities.
8 Foods to Eat for Healthy Teeth
We all know the basics of taking care of our teeth: brush at least twice a day, floss daily and make regular visits to the dentist. Here are the ones that are good for you. Nuts and seeds, Citrus fruit, Dairy products, Wild salmon, Shiitake mushrooms, Onions, Celery, Chicken, Etc..
