We’ve gone over the necessary steps to keep your teeth clean and healthy; Brush twice a day, floss between teeth, and keep sugary food and drinks to a minimum. Your mouth’s health is controlled by the acidity level, which then creates bacteria. The best way to get rid of this bacteria in order to prevent tooth decay is by following the three steps above. Our body naturally gets rid of the bacteria by way of our saliva. Did you know that there are foods and drinks that you can consume that will assist in keeping your teeth clean and healthy? We’ll go through some of the best ones for your teeth, and see the effect they have on your teeth.
Water
As previously mentioned, saliva plays a huge part in neutralizing the bacteria that exists in your mouth. Saliva is 99.5% water, which means that staying hydrated is absolutely vital to ensure that saliva continues to produce and take care of all of that bacteria! The production of saliva also wards away bad breath, so drinking half your body weight in ounces in helpful to keep hydrated. Rinsing your mouth with water will get rid of any food debris and avoid having food stain your teeth.
Chewing Gum/Xylitol
This might be confusing at first, as sugar is bad for your teeth. However, choosing chewing gum that is sugar free is a great option. The ingredient of xylitol is used as a sweetener in most sugarless gums. The ability to chew gum will increase saliva production while keeping bacteria and bacteria away. It’s a win-win situation! Just be sure not to swallow the gum, as it may be upset your stomach.
Green/Black Tea
Since tea leaves are plant-based, they contain a compound called polyphenols, which have cavity-fighting properties. Bacteria feed on the sugars in your mouth and, after doing so, they excrete tooth-enamel-destroying acids. The polypenols interact with the bacteria that cause plaque by killing or suppressing them.
Salmon
Salmon is a fantastic source of vitamin D and vitamin C. Many of the foods we choose to ingest also contain vitamin C. However, did you know that your body is unable to absorb your calcium intake unless you offset it with Vitamin D? That vitamin D allows your teeth and gums to get the full disease-fighting benefits of calcium from the foods you eat.
Fruits and Vegetables
Choosing fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber are a great choice for your teeth. Their high fiber content physically scrubs the teeth similar to the way your toothbrush might and stimulates saliva production because of the extra chewing they require. The scrubbing reduces the amount of plaque buildup which make for a simpler brush and floss. Fruits and vegetables that are high in water content are a great choice because the water offsets the sugars within the food.
These are just a few simple examples of the changes that you could make in your diet in order to help better your oral health.
