What Your Dentist Wants You to Eat and What to Avoid

Any dentist will tell you that what you put in your mouth is as important as what you brush or floss out of it. Good foods promote good oral health while bad foods can contribute to the destruction of an otherwise healthy and glowing smile. While it’s okay to indulge in the occasional bite of saltwater taffy, avoiding these foods and ensuring you partake in healthy hygiene habits can help you improve your overall oral health.


Tea
Some teas, most commonly black and green varieties, are bacteria fighters. They have the natural ability to break up plaque and discourage bacteria buildup that can later produce dangerous acids. To add a bonus oral boost, use fluoride infused water to brew your tea (all taps and many bottles waters contain fluoride, which helps fight cavities). Fluoride is another issue which is gaining interest in the medical community, but while there is controversy over its effectiveness, it is still considered one of the most important public health contributions in the history of the United States.


Fruits and Vegetables
Besides being great for improving overall health and weight management, fruits and veggies are a natural defense against tooth decay and gum disease. Crunchy varieties, such as apples, carrots, and celery can help clean the surface of teeth, removing plaque. The vitamins within these foods also help strengthen enamel, generate saliva which is vital for neutralizing oral acids, and builds up calcium and minerals which fortifies the structure of the teeth.

Sticky Sweet
A dentist will have his work cut out for him yanking taffy and bubblegum out of teeth following Halloween. Sticky candy like caramel, toffee, and gum has two strikes against it—sugar and longevity. Other candy, although still not great for your teeth, won’t generally get caught between small spaces. The stickier the candy, however, the more likely it can become wedged tightly in the teeth, resisting even a vigorous brushing, which means the sugar has a longer time to eat away at tooth enamel than say a chocolate bar would. Sticky foods can also pull and loosen fillings, braces, or other dental apparatus. Hard candies don’t fare much better either because refined sugar without fat will linger longer. Biting into a jawbreaker (which is so accurately named) or lollipop can also crack a tooth, causing great pain and exposing the tooth to decay.

Soda Pop
Another tooth killer is dyed sugary carbonated beverages. While refreshing, the acids contained within will erode tooth enamel overtime and may even stain the surface of the teeth. If you can’t resist a fizzy drink, try something without dark dye, such as a clear soda or carbonated fruit juice. If you love a good cola, a dentist may recommend using a straw whenever possible to minimize direct contact with the enamel surfaces of your teeth.

After eating any food that may compromise your oral health, it is important to brush and floss. If you can’t and have to wait, rinsing your mouth out with some water to remove extra sugar can be helpful and reduce aches and pains associated with decay.