It seems like a lot of emphasis is placed on what foods you should avoid if you want to maintain a healthy state of oral health. Less attention is paid to the foods that you can incorporate into your diet to make your teeth stronger and your gums healthier.
Here’s our list of some of the top foods that help fight tooth decay:
- Tea. Both green and black variety of teas are great for dental health. Beyond simply helping to wash excess food out from between your teeth, teas actually kill the bacteria that causes plaque. Though coffee isn’t particularly bad for your teeth, switching to tea in the mornings can provide a boost in the battle against tooth decay, so long as you can drink it without adding sugar.
- Dairy. You probably already know that your teeth are made of calcium so it should come as no surprise that dairy products, which are high in calcium, are essential in the fight against tooth decay.
- Apples. These fruits do more than just keep the doctor away; they can help to keep the dentist (or endodontist) away too! Biting into and chewing up an apple serves as a natural way of cleaning bacteria and plaque from your teeth. Plus, they tend to make you salivate, and saliva is the body’s chief means of fighting tooth decay.
- Gum. This one may seem out of place on this list, but it’s true that sugarless gum (emphasis on “sugarless”!) also stimulates salivation and helps to clean your teeth. So pick up a pack next chance you get and pop a piece into your mouth after every meal!
- Strawberries. The real benefit to your teeth that you can find in strawberries comes in the form of xylitol, a chemical that tastes sweet like sugar but actually helps to destroy bacteria rather than feed it. There are numerous other foods with naturally-occurring xylitol, like mushrooms and other berries, and it can be found as an a sweetener in products like cough syrup.
You may already be eating or drinking these things regularly but hopefully knowing that they help you fight tooth decay will encourage you to consume them more regularly. If not and you do happen to require the services of an experienced endodontist, give us a call!
About the Author
Dr. Harris has been a practicing dentist since 2005. In 2012, he received his Master’s of Science in Dentistry and a certificate in Endodontics. He founded East Coast Endodontics shortly after receiving his master’s degree. He also currently holds a part-time position as a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Endodontics department at Virginia Commonwealth University. View his full bio.