What you eat and put into your body will affect your health in one way or another. Did you know that the foods you take will first affect your teeth before anywhere else? After all, it is the first contact point for foods to spend a considerable amount of time (when chewing) before it is sent internally for digestion.
Personal hygiene not enough
You might be brushing your teeth regularly and flossing too. But that is never sufficient as you need to ensure that you are eating right as well. We have been educated about eating the right food for our body but do you know what is best for your teeth? Read on!
Best foods for your teeth
It is not secret that the most important nutrient your teeth needs are:
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Fiber
- Phosphorous
Besides that, you want to find foods that generate saliva within the walls of your mouth. Here are the best foods for your teeth:
- Celery – This is perhaps the best natural food for anyone and possibly any part of the body. It is the most dippable food that you can take with all types of sauces. It is crunchy which encourages the production of saliva, keeping the tissues healthy within your mouth. Besides that, it gives good breath and fights cavity as well.
- Chia Seeds – Rich in calcium, phosphorous, fiber and Vitamin A, it is the very food your teeth needs. Besides that, it helps with digestion and produces energy for your body.
- Coconut Oil – Known as a natural remedy to prevent decay in your teeth and cleanses the environment from bacteria, you can gargle it for about 10 minutes or so.
- Dairy Foods – Might not be the best foods for people with inflammation, they are a rich source of calcium and it helps to repair enamel through casein.
- Fatty Fish – Everyone knows that you need omega-3 fatty acids and this is rich among salmon and sardines. They are great as they give you vitamin D to help your body absorb the important nutrients like phosphorous and calcium.
The Worse Foods
Now that you know the good food, let’s look at the worse. You will be surprise with what is in this list.
- Acidic food – this includes orange or lime juice. It is good practice to take a glass of lemon juice in the morning. But that would encourage erosion in your enamel. The trick here is to gulp it in as soon as you can instead of letting the juice linger around your teeth
- White Bread – white bread has been losing popularity in recent years as they are seen as processed food. Know that it tend to encourage bacteria as the enzymes are converted to sugar which is bad for your teeth.
- Isotonic Drinks – everyone loves a 100 Plus drink after playing sports. But did you know that they keep sugar in the drinks and that will only damage your teeth faster than you think as they are highly acidic. Drinking water would be sufficient
- Dried fruits – Malaysians love their Asam Boi and other dried fruits. They are usually made with a lot of sugar which we know is bad for teeth health. Besides that, they are often found to be stuck in the teeth which then encourages bacteria to reside.
- Pickles – the only reason this food is in this list is its high content of acid. Using vinegar to make pickles, which is used in a lot of burgers and sandwiches, their acidic content is higher than usual foods. If you really must have it, make sure you rinse your mouth quickly after consumption.