Best Foods For Your Teeth

Best Foods For Your Teeth

Best Foods for Your Teeth

Following on from our Which Foods Actually Stain Your Teeth here’s our guide to which foods are good for your teeth,

Fibrous Fruits

apples-red-and-greenHigh-fiber fruits, like pears and apples, may help whiten your teeth. Not only do they boost saliva flow (which helps keep teeth clean), but their fiber content removes some stains by scrubbing the surface of the teeth, he explains. Just be sure you brush your teeth after having your apple a day—fruit still contains sugars, and you don’t want that sticking around longer than it has to.

Baking Soda

baking-sodaScrubbing with the white powdery stuff will whiten teeth naturally. Simply wet your toothbrush and dip into the powder. One caveat: Don’t make it an everyday habit. Since the abrasive properties of baking soda may cause damage to the enamel of your teeth, he recommends using this method once a week.

Strawberries

strawberries_1Strawberry fields forever may be the way to go if you’re looking for a natural way to whiten your smile. The red berries contain malic acid, which may be responsible for this effect. You can even double up and mash them with baking soda for DIY whitening solution. However, science says that while it does seem to make your teeth look whiter (since you’re removing some of the plaque), it doesn’t penetrate the enamel to provide real, long-lasting results .

Cheese

cheeseGood news, cheesemongers: You may be fighting cavities with every delicious bite. Research suggests that eating the savory stuff may lead to a higher pH level in the mouth, which slashes the risk for cavities .

Water

Water does more than just keep you hydrated. Research suggests that drinking plenty of H20 keeps the teeth and gums healthy, and fluoridated water in particular helps battle tooth decay. And if you can’t brush after a meal, simply swish around some water to clear sugars and acids.

Nuts

Mixed Nuts_604We’re nuts about nuts around here, and for good reason: These small but mighty bites boast a slew of health benefits, from boosting weight loss to fighting aging and more. And now we can add one more to the list: strengthening our teeth. Because of their protein content, nuts protect our teeth and keep them strong. Plus, the chewing it takes to eat each one helps stimulate saliva production, so they also help clean the mouth, she adds. On the flipside, some research suggests that nuts may cause tooth decay and could have been to blame for dental disease in our hunter-gatherer ancestors, so check with your dentist to see what he or she recommends before going too, well, nuts