A healthy diet brings many benefits to our body, which is no different when considering oral health. By eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals, we build strong teeth and healthy gums, thus ensuring a beautiful smile.
In the same way that consuming good foods helps with dental health, the opposite is also true. Uncontrolled intake of foods with sugar and starch can dissolve tooth enamel, causing the dreaded tooth decay.
To guide you in achieving complete oral health, I will show you how adding the right foods can transform your teeth, gums, and mouth. So, if you want a beautiful smile, continue with this post.
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Essential foods for stronger teeth
Categorizing foods into good or bad guys isn’t the right thing to do. However, truths need to be told: to have a healthy mouth with strong teeth and free from cavities, you need to start the journey with what you eat.
Lean proteins, seeds, fruits, and vegetables are some foods that have the nutrients needed to strengthen your teeth.
So, now check out 8 of the best foods for strong teeth that you should include in your eating routine.
1. Cheese and other dairy products
Dairy products are rich in calcium, strengthening our teeth and bones and replacing minerals lost by chewing other foods.
Another benefit of dairy products for teeth is increased saliva production. It contains proteins and minerals that reduce germs and make teeth more robust, thus reducing the risk of cavities and gum problems.
Furthermore, cheese, milk, and yogurt are rich in casein, which helps remineralize teeth. Combined with calcium and phosphate, it rebuilds and makes tooth enamel much more resistant to constant erosion caused by acidic foods.
2. Fruits
Fruits are foods rich in fiber, vitamins, and calcium, which are essential for maintaining the body’s health.
They also activate the generation of saliva, which, as we already know, performs the function of rinsing the teeth. This forms a natural defense capable of neutralizing acids and enzymes from chewing sweets or foods containing starch.
Combined with an excellent oral hygiene routine, this can become the perfect combo to keep your teeth and gums away from disease.
3. Vegetables and legumes
Just like fruits, vegetables and green leafy vegetables are highly recommended sources of foods rich in fiber and vitamins A, B, C, and B complex.
Some examples of green leafy vegetables are watercress, kale, arugula, and spinach.
The fact that these foods require a lot of chewing strengthens the teeth and generates more saliva, which works directly to clean the teeth, removing bacterial plaque.
4. Water
Water will always be the best option for keeping our body hydrated, quenching our thirst, and refreshing ourselves.
But there are other important reasons that you should know when choosing your next drink and want to keep your teeth away from cavities and gum problems.
Drinks with a high sugar and acid content can considerably increase the wear of tooth enamel and cavities.
Therefore, give preference to water, as in addition to promoting hydration, it will also clean your teeth, especially after eating sweets, and prevent bad breath.
5. Teas and other drinks that do not contain sugar
Green or black tea are great alternatives for drinks that won’t harm your teeth and gums, as they are rich in polyphenols. This powerful antioxidant protects teeth from bacterial plaque and gum disease.
6. Grains, nuts, and seeds
To strengthen your gums and teeth, add grains and seeds such as oats, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chestnuts to your diet today.
These foods are highly nutritious. They offer elements such as magnesium, vitamin B, and iron. These elements are great for strengthening teeth and gums and preventing periodontitis.
They can be considered the natural “detergent” of your mouth, as they increase salivation, something significantly crucial for keeping our teeth cleaner.
7. Protein-rich foods
Lean proteins such as poultry, fish, eggs, salmon, and tofu are excellent sources of nutrition, rich in minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which help with bone remodeling.
8. Sugar-free gum
Sugar-free gum is an excellent chewing aid, creating a lot of saliva in the mouth and helping to remove food debris.
Foods rich in vitamins and minerals
Vitamin D
Vitamin D actively works to help our body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for bone building. Egg yolks, fatty fish meat, cheese, and beef liver are some of the foods that are good sources of this vitamin.
Magnesium
This mineral is naturally present in spinach, nuts, legumes, seeds, and whole grains. It is essential because it helps the body absorb calcium, which is responsible for building strong teeth and is necessary for strengthening tooth enamel.
Vitamin C
is excellent for strengthening tooth enamel and reducing gum inflammation. It is present in kiwi, oranges, apples, and lemons. It is also found in vegetables such as green peppers, broccoli, and green leaves, and it will be a great ally in building strong teeth and healthy gums.
Foods rich in fluoride
Fluoride is naturally present in several foods, but most in low contractions. However, you can still consume it through black tea, shrimp, or other canned foods.
Another option for consuming fluoride in reasonable quantities is fluoridated water. This mineral will help prevent cavities and make teeth stronger and more resistant to the acids that pass through our mouth.
Foods you should avoid for the sake of your oral health
We have already talked about all the good foods that should be consumed if you want to have strong and healthy teeth, and now let’s look at those that we should be careful about eating.
You don’t need to be extreme and abolish any of the ones we list below. Just dose the quantities and take care of oral hygiene after consumption by using dental floss and brushing your teeth.
Sweets
Foods rich in sugar are some of the most harmful to tooth health as they feed the bacteria in our mouth.
When we eat something sweet, the bacterial plaque that coats our teeth can be affected by the acids that come from the sugars in these foods.
This can lead to the weakening of tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay and inflammation of the gums and other elements and structures present in the mouth that support our teeth.
Starchy foods
Foods such as potatoes, pasta, or rice contain a lot of starch, a carbohydrate metabolized into sugar. As we saw in the previous topic, this substance is a feeder of germs and bacteria, which results in acids that wear down the body. Dental.
Soft drinks
Soft drinks are one of the main foods that harm oral health. This is because they contain high amounts of sugars and citric and phosphoric acids, which cause wear on tooth enamel.
Alcohol
Alcoholic drinks tend to leave the mouth dry, which consequently causes a reduction in saliva, and we already know that saliva is essential for our dental health. Furthermore, they feed the bacteria that cause damage to our mouths.
Nutritional choices for teeth with stronger enamel and cavity-free teeth:
Making smart nutritional choices will benefit your dental health best. This is because when we eat quality foods such as proteins, vegetables, fruits, and seeds, we encourage chewing, which increases saliva production.
Our teeth are surrounded by bacterial plaque, which is nothing more than a thin, invisible film.
In turn, saliva has the incredible power to promote teeth cleaning, acting as a proper natural rinse, capable of reducing the acids generated when we consume foods rich in sugar and starch.
When in repeated contact with the teeth and without proper subsequent cleaning, these acids can penetrate the dental enamel, causing cavities. So, there is nothing better than making good choices for more effective dental health.
Supplements for Stronger Oral Health
In addition to consuming foods that will strengthen the health of your teeth and gums and reduce the consumption of others, you can complement the construction of stronger teeth through supplements.
Check out some options that can make managing your oral health daily easier.
Zoracel Dental Gummy: this is a practical option for ingesting vitamins, minerals, and probiotics through chewable candies that will give your mouth the nutrients it needs.
Zoracel Dental Gummy: this is a practical option for ingesting vitamins, minerals, and probiotics through chewable candies that will give your mouth the nutrients it needs.
ProDentim: Probiotics are excellent sources of good bacteria, which help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, which cause cavities and gum disease.
Conclusion
I hope that this information can trigger a change in your oral health and that you can reap good results through new eating habits.
To complement our recommendations, remember to adopt an oral hygiene routine by brushing and flossing at least twice a day, in addition to regular visits to your trusted dentist.
FAQ
What calcium-rich foods benefit teeth?
Foods such as cheese, milk, yogurt, kale, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables have high calcium levels.
Are there foods that help remove tartar from teeth?
Foods rich in fiber promote gentle cleaning of teeth during chewing. Green leaves like spinach and kale, and fruits like apples, pears, and tangerines. However, this includes needing to visit your dentist for professional care.
What foods should I avoid to prevent tooth decay?
Sweets with a lot of sugar tend to stick in the mouth, as do soft drinks, alcohol, and foods containing starch, such as potatoes, pasta, and bread. Remember, avoiding is not restricting. And whenever possible, after eating these foods, try to clean your teeth by brushing or chewing sugar-free gum and drinking water.
What strengthens teeth? Are there specific foods that help?
Yes, foods rich in nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals strengthen teeth. Some of these are dairy products, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, natural grains and seeds, and green and black teas, among many others.
Sources:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/