How to Protect Your Teeth With Every Meal: Simple Foods That Fight Cavities
Protect your teeth from cavities.
When you think about protecting your teeth from cavities, you might immediately think about your toothbrush and toothpaste, along with dental floss, working together to create a solid oral hygiene routine. However, that is only one piece of the puzzle to keeping your mouth happy and healthy.
Believe it or not, the battle against tooth decay begins before you reach for the toothbrush. It begins at your kitchen table. The team at Lake Pointe Dental Group in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, believes that one of the most effective ways to help prevent cavities is by understanding what foods can help or harm your teeth. By incorporating tooth-friendly foods into your diet, you can help support a healthier smile without extra effort.
Crunchy Fruits and Veggies
One of the easiest ways to fight cavities is to include crunchy fruits and vegetables in every meal. Crunchy, high fiber fruits and vegetables, like apples, carrots, and celery, can act as natural toothbrushes, helping to sweep away plaque and food particles from your teeth. The increased chewing required of these fibrous foods helps to promote saliva production. Saliva is your mouth’s natural defense because it contains enzymes that neutralize acids. Saliva also helps to balance the pH of your mouth, keeping it neutral.
So, if you’re looking for a healthy snack, grab some apple slices, celery stalks, or carrot sticks, and snack without feeling guilty.
Dairy Foods
When you think of dairy, you should think about calcium and building new bones. Calcium also helps build up the enamel on your teeth. Dairy products, like cheese, low fat yogurt, and milk, are vital to your teeth, and helpful for cavity protection. Dairy products contain a lot of calcium, as well as phosphates. Both of these minerals are helpful building blocks that increase the remineralization of your teeth.
Dairy products also can help raise the pH level of saliva in your mouth, meaning they can help neutralize acids that can eat away at teeth and cause cavities. Looking for a tooth-friendly dairy snack? Try some low-fat Greek yogurt paired with berries.
Leafy Greens
If you are looking for foods that help support your gum health, as well as your teeth, add leafy greens to your diet. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, are packed with vitamins and minerals that help support your entire mouth. Plus, they are great for your overall health. High in folic acid and Vitamin C, leafy greens can help reduce inflammation and keep your gums healthy. These leafy greens are also low in sugar, which means they don’t provide fuel for cavity-causing bacteria.
Leafy greens also have calcium, which is great for enamel support. If you’re struggling with finding ways to add extra greens to your diet, consider adding spinach to your daily smoothie or into some pasta sauce for added flavor and healthy benefits.
Green and Black Tea
Looking for something to drink other than water? Try unsweetened black and green tea. These beverages contain natural compounds that fight cavities. These teas also contain polyphenols, which kill acid-producing bacteria that can attack and erode teeth.
If you are looking to exclude extra sugars from your diet, swap out sugary sodas and juices for black and green tea. You’ll not only save a few calories, but you’ll also be adding extra hydration into your diet.
Water: Your Secret Weapon
Water is the most effective tool in your cavity prevention tool kit. Unlike other beverages, water cleanses your mouth with every sip, helping to rinse away bad bacterias and food particles. By rinsing away food particles and bacteria, there is a lesser chance of these bad agents sitting on your teeth and turning into plaque and eating away at your teeth.
Water also helps to prevent dry mouth. If your mouth is dry, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Water helps to neutralize bacteria and promote saliva production. Another benefit of water that many people aren’t aware of is added fluoride. In many communities across the United States, tap water from public water systems is fortified with fluoride. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps to harden the enamel of the teeth.
Keeping Nutrition in Check
It is well known that sugar and sodas are the primary culprits behind tooth decay and cavities. When you consume food and beverages with sugar, the bacteria in your mouth will feast on it and produce acid as a byproduct. This acid then attacks your teeth. By keeping your nutrition in check and proactively choosing healthy foods and drinks, you can help keep your smile happy. Whether it is choosing foods that act like natural toothbrushes or other healthier alternatives, you can help prevent cavities by making small changes to your diet over time.
Trust the team at Lake Pointe Dental Group.
If you are looking for a family dentist near Oklahoma City, Lake Pointe Dental Group is a family-friendly practice that provides modern dental care. We don’t want to just fill cavities and fix dental problems—we use technology to help our patients maintain healthy smiles. If you haven’t seen us in a while, contact us today to schedule your next visit.
