Most diet plans are aimed at helping you shrink your waistline, but have you considered the impact your diet can have on your teeth? Making bad choices, like a diet high in sugar, can wear out your teeth before they start making problems for you elsewhere. A diet that promotes an overall healthy mouth will help maintain and strengthen your teeth. With your pearly whites on the front line, consider these six essential drinks and foods that make your teeth stronger.
Drinks and Foods that Make Your Teeth Stronger
1. Low-Fat Dairy
It’s no surprise that dairy tops the list. High in calcium and vitamin D, the right dairy is full of nutrients that can neutralize acids and help protect your enamel.
2. Apples
While sweets and high-sugar foods tend to be a dental disaster, apples are the perfect solution to sugar cravings.
Despite being high in natural sugars, apples are diluted by their water content, and their crunchy consistency stimulates saliva production. Your saliva contains enzymes that can help buffer harmful acids and bathe your teeth to rid them of some food particles that may get left behind.
3. Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale are also rich in calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus, which are important for proper calcium absorption. As an added bonus, dark green foods that make your teeth stronger are known as overall superfoods as well.
4. Tea
Drinking unsweetened tea has many benefits for your teeth.
Green tea contains catechins, which may help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease and help relieve inflammation. Additionally, it’s high in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps the overall health of your mouth.
5. Fermented Foods
Fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi are enjoying the health food spotlight as science learns more about the way our gut flora helps maintain our overall immunity. While they may not specifically make your teeth stronger, new evidence suggests the probiotics present in fermented food have a positive effect on the microbiome that exists in your mouth.
6. Cranberries
Cranberries may conjure images of holiday dinners and seasonal desserts, but these bog berries are loaded with health benefits. Full of polyphenols and proanthocyanidins, cranberries can inhibit colonies of harmful bacteria from growing on your teeth.
Honorary Mention: Water
So simple it’s almost forgotten, but water plays a huge role in the health of your mouth. Keeping your mouth hydrated promotes the proper environment for your mouth and can help reduce conditions related to a lack of saliva production. Additionally, much of the tap water in the U.S. contains a trace amount of fluoride to help strengthen your enamel.
Contact Our Dental Office in Grosse Pointe for More Information
Taking care of your teeth will help support your overall health, and a healthy diet is an excellent part of preventative care. Make sure your teeth are well taken care of by brushing and flossing daily, and by visiting your dentist for regular cleaning and monitoring. Your dentist will be able to recognize and treat any issues you may be experiencing and help you prevent future discomfort. Contact us with any questions or to schedule an appointment today.