The Best and Worst Foods for Your Teeth

A good nutritional diet is the key to having and maintaining good health. This is also true when it comes to your oral health. So what are the best and worst foods for your teeth?

Best Foods

• Fruits and vegetables rich in fiber  stimulate saliva flow, and the calcium and phosphorous restore minerals to your teeth.
• Water cleans your mouth out, hydrates your gums, and washes away food particles.
• Cheese, milk, and other dairy products contain calcium, which helps keep your teeth and jawbone, as well as all of your other bones, strong.
• Green tea offers antioxidants that prevent against plaque buildup, which reduces your chances of tooth decay and cavities. Some green teas even possess fluoride, which prevents tooth decay.
• Sugarless chewing gum promotes saliva flow to help cleanse your mouth of food particles and bacteria.
• Proteins like beef, eggs, chicken, and turkey all contain phosphorous. When phosphorous combines with calcium it makes vitamin D, which helps keep your jawbone strong.
• Sesame seeds dissolve plaque and help strengthen tooth enamel.

Worst Foods

• Sugary candy is very high in sugar, which clings to the teeth, feeding plaque, and contributing to tooth decay and cavities
• Carbonated soft drinks contain acids that erode your tooth enamel and high levels of sugar.
• Energy drinks, juice, and sports drinks are laden with sugar that can cause tooth decay.
• Berries are among the most common tooth strainers.
• Lemons are high in acidity and contribute to enamel erosion and tooth sensitivity.
• Starchy foods, such as breads or potato chips, linger in your mouth and feed bacteria, leaving your mouth susceptible to tooth decay and infection.

Maintaining a well balanced diet can lead to strong teeth, a healthy smile, and a healthy body.

For more tips on healthy dieting for your teeth, contact Dr. Corbet Locke, a family dentist in Waco, Texas. Call 254-776-4888 or visit our website at corbetlockedds.com.