The Best Foods For A Healthy Smile
Are you aware that it takes more than maintaining oral hygiene and visiting the dentist regularly to keep your teeth strong and have a sparkling smile? Your diet has a significant impact on your oral health, which is why it’s vital to watch what you eat.
Here are the top 4 foods to eat to promote overall oral health.
Crunchy and Watery Foods
Crunchy foods such as carrots and celery enhance saliva flow and act as natural tooth cleaners by removing stuck particles from your enamel. Celery, for instance, serves as a natural dental floss because it has high fibre content. On the other hand, carrots stimulate the release of saliva because they require a lot of chewing when raw.
Water-rich fruits like apples also contribute to a healthier smile. The water in the apple helps remove particles from your teeth and gums.
Leafy Greens
Vegetables are an integral part of a balanced diet, as they provide many valuable nutrients without increasing your caloric intake. Regarding oral health, they contain vitamins and minerals and promote saliva production—this will help keep your mouth clean and improve enamel health.
Examples of the leafy greens that you can add to your diet include chard, collards, kale, and spinach. These are rich in vitamin B, calcium and folic acid, all of which are great for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Even better, veggies are versatile – you can cook them, prepare salads or blend them into your smoothie.
Dairy Products
Like vegetables, dairy products promote salivary flow, which helps keep your mouth clean. Milk and cheese contain calcium, a mineral that strengthens and whitens your teeth. Additionally, yoghurt contains probiotics, beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion and prevent halitosis.
When purchasing dairy products, go for unsweetened or sugar-free options. You can then add a natural sweetener such as honey.
If you are lactose intolerant, you can drink almond milk, cashew milk, or soy milk instead of dairy products.
Water and Teas
As mentioned earlier, the water in some fruits keeps your teeth healthy. The same applies to staying hydrated by drinking the water itself.
Most people drink more than they eat. Unfortunately, most drinks are sugary and acidic, like alcohol, sodas, sweet juices, and vintage wines. Such drinks promote bacterial growth inside your mouth.
While there’s no problem in consuming sweet drinks occasionally, it’s vital to drink water after consuming them. Besides keeping you hydrated, water neutralises the acids that promote bacterial growth. Consequently, it lowers the risk of bad breath, cavities and gum disease.
Alternatively, you can take black and green teas. These contain polyphenols that help in fighting bacteria that form inside the mouth.
Flouride-rich Foods
Although your toothpaste contains fluoride, please don’t eat it. Instead, go for natural sources such as seafood. If you’re allergic to seafood, you can obtain this mineral from carrots, cheese and canned tomatoes.
Fluoride protects against tooth decay and strengthens your teeth. This is why it’s one of the core ingredients in most toothpaste brands.
Wrapping Up
Everybody desires a sparkling smile, but achieving it requires a lot of discipline. You need to brush and floss regularly and visit the dentist at least twice yearly. More importantly, you need to eat the right foods and avoid poor habits such as smoking or chewing tobacco products.