Everyone knows to keep a healthy mouth that you need to brush your teeth regularly, floss on a daily basis, and try not to eat foods with so much sugar. Food is essential for life and although no food will ever replace the need to brush your teeth, here are the top ten foods that are unexpectedly healthy for your teeth.
1. Chewing gum. Now many people may not consider this a food, but if you are chewing sugar free gum it can actually be good for your teeth. By chewing gum, it builds up saliva in your mouth helping rinse away any damaging acids making your mouth healthier. Plus, it makes your breath smell great!
2. Dark Chocolate. There are many different kinds of chocolate and most of them are filled with sugar and are not healthy for your teeth, but if it’s dark chocolate then it can actually help harden tooth enamel. There is a compound in dark chocolate called CBH (Cocoa Bean Husk) that has been proven in tests to help prevent tooth decay from the hardening of tooth enamel and even help prevent cavities.
3. Cheese. When you think of healthy foods for your teeth, cheese does not come to mind, but it is surprisingly good for your teeth. What makes cheese great is its ability to fight acid erosion of your teeth. After you eat or drink, whether it’s sweets, a full course meal, soda, and anything else you can think of, you are exposing your teeth to so much tooth decay causing acids. By eating cheese after you finish your meal it counteracts the acid that is left behind. The best cheeses to eat after a meal are goat and sheep chesses. Tip: Try not to eat cheese with saltine crackers because believe it or not (even worse than candy) saltine crackers are the number one food that causes cavities.
4. Salmon. Different vitamins help different parts of your body making you a healthier individual, something that salmon provides is Vitamin D, which is crucial for great oral health. What Vitamin D does is absorbs the calcium that you have and puts it to great use throughout your body, making salmon an overall perfect food to keep healthy teeth and gums.
5. Onions. Yes, you read it correct, raw onions, though they may smell horrible, they are actually extremely healthy for your teeth. What makes onions healthy for your teeth are the antibacterial Sulphur found in them. What this Sulphur compound does is kills any harmful bacterial that is left on your teeth. After you eat raw onions be sure to refer back to item #1 on the list so your breath doesn’t smell!
6. Green & Black tea. When I think of drinks that stain your teeth I think of coffee, soda, red wine, and tea. While coffee, soda, and red wine can cause your teeth to stain, green and black tea will actually help your teeth to become healthier. What makes green and black tea healthy for your teeth is polyphenols. Polyphenols helps fight against bacteria that causes plaque and also helps fight against cavities which makes it a great option for or after you eat.
7. Oranges. Surprisingly, oranges are good for your teeth even though they are a citrus which contains acids, but oranges also have Vitamin C. What Vitamin C does is strengthens your blood vessels along with your connective tissue and slows down any gum disease by reducing inflammation. Tip: It isn’t good for your teeth to brush right after consuming any citrus fruits.
