Healthy Foods for Good Dental Health Published At: 04-18-2011  When looked after properly, our teeth should last us a lifetime. Along with good dental hygiene, which includes regular brushing, flossing and dental checkups, eating healthy food can play a major part in keeping our teeth strong and healthy.



When looked after properly, our teeth should last us a lifetime. Along with good dental hygiene, which includes regular brushing, flossing and dental checkups, eating healthy food can play a major part in keeping our teeth strong and healthy.

Teeth are covered with enamel, making it the hardest tissue in the body and it takes a lot to wear it down. Where problems start to arise is when we eat too much sugar which gives the bacteria inside our mouth something to feed on. This bacteria then produces harmful acids which soon get to work attacking the enamel on our teeth.

If not thoroughly removed, the bacteria eventually forms plaque, the sticky, furry type coating which covers our teeth and is most noticeable if we skip one or two tooth brushing sessions. As such, it’s best to confine eating unhealthy or sugary foods until after meals or close to a time when you’re likely to be cleaning your teeth.

Fortunately there are plenty of healthy foods you can eat which are also good for dental health. Naturally, the healthiest foods for teeth are those which are low in added sugars or starches. Also, beneficial are protein rich foods and those with plenty of calcium, both of which are essential for building strong, healthy teeth.

Foods which are high in protein include fish, meat, poultry, eggs, tofu and nuts. Higher levels of calcium can be found in dairy products, including virtually all types of cheese as well as natural yogurt and unflavored or unsweetened milk. Other good calcium sources include spinach, tofu, almonds and canned salmon with the bones.

Most vegetables, apart from potatoes and artichokes are excellent for dental health. Vegetable sticks such as carrots, cucumber or celery are easy to snack on and can be enjoyed with healthy dips such as hummus. As an alternative to bread which is a high starch food, consider substituting rye or oat crispbreads which are much lower in starch and sugars.

While fruit is certainly a healthy food and should be included as part of a balanced diet, eating too much of it can be bad for our teeth. This is because many of the sweeter varieties are also high in natural sugars. Fruits with lower sugar levels and therefore healthier for teeth, include kiwi fruit, nectarines, honeydew melon, watermelon, cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, mandarins, rhubarb and plums.

Something which might not be considered a food as such, but which can be chewed on and is extremely beneficial to dental health, is sugar free chewing gum. This is recommended by dentists, as it stimulates a steady flow of saliva and helps to neutralize harmful acids which are responsible for causing cavities. The best time to chew sugar free gum is immediately after eating when the acids from your food will be starting to form.

No-one wants  a set of false teeth. To maximize the chances of keeping your teeth for life, try to eat a well-balanced diet including plenty of protein while keeping sugary foods to a minimum. Along with good dental hygiene, eating healthy foods is the best way of enabling your teeth to last as long as you do.