What you munch on affects more than your waistline—it creates or destroys your oral health. While the tempting convenience of processed foods is always in the background, the best snacks strengthen your teeth and gums. Understanding foods that are mouth-friendly allows you to make more informed choices to indulge your cravings without compromising your smile.
The connection of your diet to your oral health extends beyond where most people realise. Every time you eat, bacteria in the mouth love starches and sugars and produce acid that attacks enamel on teeth. All is not lost, however, because there are foods that will counteract acid, stimulate saliva, and provide nutrients that create healthy gums and healthy teeth. Remember, local dental services in Essendon are there to help and provide advice when you need it!
Power-Packed Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are among the healthiest foods for a healthy mouth. Almonds, cashews, and walnuts are low in sugar and rich in protein and healthy fat. They contain the building blocks of healthy tooth structure and are challenging to chew, stimulating saliva.
Sesame seeds are especially beneficial as they have plenty of calcium that remineralises teeth. Sunflower seeds have vitamin E, which is healthy for gums and soothes inflammation. Natural oils present in them also cover the teeth, providing them with some protection from destructive bacteria.
Cheese: Nature’s Tooth Protector
Cheese is a very healthy snack for your teeth. It is rich in phosphate and calcium, which replenishes teeth enamel, and protein is healing for the structure of the teeth in general. Cheese is also an alkaline food and will neutralise acid produced by bacteria inside the mouth.
Hard cheeses like cheddar are particularly useful as they stimulate the flow of saliva. Saliva is a natural mouth wash that cleanses food and bacteria from the mouth and provides teeth with minerals directly. A piece of cheese after a meal can protect the enamel.
Fibre Fruits for Shiny Teeth
Certain fruits act as natural toothbrushes, brushing food particles and plaque away. Pears, apples, and strawberries are fibrous and water-rich and are mouth-friendly. They scrub gum tissue physically and brush the teeth surface when chewed.
Strawberries contain malic acid that whitens teeth naturally, and apples cleanse gums and stimulate saliva. Fruits are to be eaten whole and not as juice for full cleansing action and avoid concentrated sugar which destroy teeth.
Crunchy Vegetables for Healthy Teeth
Carrots, celery, and bell peppers are all tooth-friendly in numerous ways. Raw vegetable fibre removes plaque from teeth with every bite, and the water content in them washes the acids and sugars out of your mouth. Carrots are also a source of vitamin A, one of the vitamins responsible for the enamel of teeth.
Celery is a natural floss for the teeth, as its stringed fibres will floss between the teeth. Bell peppers contain vitamin C, which gums need in order to get healthy and stay gum disease-free. These foods also take a lot of chewing, which works saliva and a healthy jaw.
Snacks That Ruin Your Smile
Foods detrimental to teeth must be avoided or consumed in small amounts. Sticky sweets, dried fruits, and sweet treats stick to teeth and give room for bad bacteria to feed upon. Citrus fruits and foods containing vinegar can cause constant erosion of the enamel.
Processed crisps and crackers contain hidden sugars and will adhere to teeth, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Sports drinks and fruit juice are particularly so because not only do they contain large amounts of sugar, but they are also highly acidic.
Forming Healthier Snacking Habits
It need not be at the expense of taste and enjoyment if tooth-friendly snacking is followed. Between-meal snacks must include raw vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Fruits must be eaten with nuts or cheese so that natural sugars are neutralised, and maximum dental worth is obtained.
Remember, timing is everything. Eating food at meals rather than in between meals gives your mouth time to rest between meals. Your teeth will like chewing on food that is good for them rather than bad, and have healthier gums and teeth and fewer dental problems in the long run.
