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Is There Such a Thing as Tooth Friendly Foods?

by | Mar 6, 2017 | Dental care, Tooth Friendly foods

 

tooth friendly foods

It may come as a surprise that there are actually tooth friendly foods. By that we mean foods that help you maintain good dental health. We’ve talked about foods that are bad for your teeth like candy, sodas and sugary drinks. It’s easy to start thinking that everything you eat is bad, but that’s not true. What are the healthy counterparts to bad foods?

Tooth Friendly Foods

Greatist.com lists foods that are some of the healthiest for your teeth:

  • Milk and eggs. Milk and eggs are great sources of vitamin D and calcium.
  • Cheese and yogurt. Low fat cheese and nonfat yoghurt are also rich in calcium. In addition, cheese (as we wrote about in another blog) contains casein, which is a protein that supports tooth enamel.

(A note about calcium: When you’re deficient in calcium, your body may extract it from your teeth and bones. This isn’t healthy and puts you at risk for tooth decay, cavities and gum disease.)

  • Meat, fish and tofu. These foods are great sources of phosphorus, which is a mineral that protects tooth enamel. Homemade broth cooked from meat bones contains lots of phosphorus.
  • Broccoli, bok choy and dark, leafy vegetables. Broccoli, kale, collards, bok choy and other dark leafy green vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals. For example kale has manganese, copper, calcium, potassium and vitamin B6, which are all good for your health and your teeth.
  • Celery, carrots and crunchy vegetables. The texture of celery and carrots and other crunchy vegetables are good for cleaning your teeth while chewing. The chewing also activates your salivary glands, which results in saliva production, an important factor in reducing plaque buildup.
  • Apples. Apples are also good for cleaning the plaque off your teeth and they are a high fiber fruit.

While you may not consider water a food, it’s essential for washing remnants of food from your teeth and fluoridated water in particular helps to prevent tooth decay. Drink lots of water during the day for good dental health.

Get Regular Checkups

Eating tooth friendly foods and getting regular checkups can help you take care of your teeth. At Hutto Hippo Family Dental, Dr. Baker enjoys helping patients and seeing their healthy looking smiles.