Smile with Confidence: A Comprehensive Guide to Dental Health and Care

What is A Tooth Friendly Diet?

Not only does what you eat effect your gums and teeth by building healthier foundations, but what you eat also helps prevent in tooth decay, cavities and gum disease as well. If you ever wondered about what you should be eating and shouldn’t be eating or what foods are really healthy for your teeth, you’re in luck because there is a whole list below of stuff you should stay away from and stuff you should start to or continue to eat. Of course when you think about the teeth, you probably think of thins automatically like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. But, there are also some really great foods you may not be aware of.

An Apple A Day

Apples are incredibly healthy, not only for your teeth, mouth and gums, but your entire body. They are filled with healthy vitamins and minerals and they also help “scrub” the teeth which stimulates your gums and makes them stronger. because you tend to chew a lot when you eat an apple, you also increase the bacteria neutralizing saliva which helps fight off bad bacteria and keep the mouth clean and away from getting infected and keeps plaque off of and away from your teeth.

Celery for Fiber

Not only is celery another good way to brush away any gunk on your teeth and keep your gums healthy and strong, it’s a crunchy and juicy vegetable that is mainly made up of fiber and water. Adding fiber to your diet is a great way to stay healthy and create a balanced diet. It’s also a good base to add things like non-sweetened peanut butter on to make it a little more interesting and fun to eat. If your kids or you really hate the taste of celery you can always remove the peel, but that’s where a lot of the vitamins and minerals are, so be careful when doing this and really think about it.

Dairy Products

You might be thinking about things like strawberry and chocolate milk in this instance, but as any Dental Office will tell you, these types of milk are not good for your teeth – or your body for that matter. However things without sugar added like milk, cheese, and yogurt are all incredibly healthy and add a lot of vitamins into your diet. They all also contain calcium and minerals which can keep your teeth healthy, strong and white. A study done by the Journal of Oral Dentistry has found that kids and adults who eat 4 servings or more of dairy in a week are less likely to get cavities and have tooth decay than those who did not eat it.

Rich in Vitamin A, C and D

Foods that are rich in vitamin A, C and D are also a great thing to add to your diet for strong teeth and healthy gums, not to mention the benefits you get to your overall health. Try adding in more things like eggs, fish, beef, spinach, kale, cauliflower, beans, chicken and leafy green vegetables into your diet to see some extra benefits oral wise and health wise.

Foods to Stay Away From

If we have a list of things you should be eating, you should also be aware of what you shouldn’t be eating, so for that there is also a list of the top 4 things you shouldn’t be eating.

Dried Fruit

This may be a surprising food in the do not eat list, but its here for good reason. Most dried fruits that you buy in the grocery store are very sticky and high in sugar. Because of the stickiness it can get stuck between your teeth and get stuck on your teeth – even after brushing, there may still be remnants that are invisible to the naked eye which can cause some serious damage to your teeth. Instead, try fresh fruits that are low in sugar and high in fiber.

Soda

While not necessarily a food, soda is as dangerous and unhealthy as they come. Not only can it lead to cavities, but it also can lead to erosion or decay on the teeth. Don’t think you are safe with diet soda either, both types of sodas contain a lot of sugar and are both very high in phosphoric acid which essentially eats away at the enamel on your teeth and causes cavities, among other things.

Crackers

Crackers get a really bad rap in the dental industry and for good reason. Crackers are a refined carbohydrate and can lead to inflammation in the body, specifically the teeth and gums, Inflammation is a huge deal when it comes to diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis and is a main factor in creating these dreadful and dangerous diseases.

Candy

This should be an obvious one but it’s on the list anyway. Candy, no matter if it’s soft and chewy or hard can lie on your teeth and cause some serious issues with cavities and tooth decay – even if you do brush your teeth. Of course, these days, candy is such a big “thing” especially when it comes to holidays like Easter and Halloween. If your kids really want to have the fun of doing something like Halloween and getting dressed up, they can, but candy should be limited.