Consuming the right foods and drinks is a crucial part of your oral health routine. While brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist regularly might come to mind first, it is also important to set your teeth up for success by keeping unhealthy foods away from your teeth in the first place and making eating healthy foods a priority.
Foods to Consume for Healthy Teeth
Eating foods that benefit your teeth is the first step toward maintaining stellar oral health. Many foods provide calcium, protein, and other vitamins and minerals that naturally strengthen teeth and help prevent cavities.
- Dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, are high in calcium, which strengthens the tooth enamel to help prevent cavities. The good bacteria found in yogurt also helps to minimize the types of bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.
- Fresh vegetables, such as carrots, celery, and leafy greens, provide a variety of vitamins and minerals that promote general tooth health.
- Apples and other fruits are good sources of natural fluoride, which helps to prevent cavities.
- Almonds are high in calcium and protein.
Foods to Avoid for Healthy Teeth
Other foods contain ingredients that harm your teeth, such as sugar and acid, and should be avoided as much as possible. Some foods that are not good choicesinclude:
- Candy, cookies, and other sugary foods
- Potato chips and other crunchy foods that can harm the enamel
- Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, that can erode the enamel
Drinks that Benefit Your Teeth
Just like nutritious foods, certain drinks provide nutrients that are good for your teeth, such as:
- Milk, which is high in calcium
- Water, which is a neutral drink that doesn’t contain anything that can harm your teeth
- Unsweetened tea and juices that are low in sugar
Drinks that Can Harm Your Teeth
Some drinks that are not the best choices for your teeth include:
- Soda and other carbonated drinks that are high in sugar, acid, and other harmful ingredients
- Alcohol, which dries out your mouth and makes naturally removing food particles more difficult
- Some fruit juices that are high in sugar
- Chewing on ice in drinks, which can crack your teeth
At Smiles by Design, we care about helping our patients understand the impact the foods and drinks they consume can have on their oral health. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you make the best nutritional choices for your teeth or to schedule an appointment!