Your teeth chew through a massive amount of food each day, but you might not realise some foods are better for your teeth than others. It is well-known that foods high in sugar can be damaging to your teeth, but what isn't well-known is that some foods have the reverse effect and can fight against cavities. Choose these foods to please your teeth (and your dentist).
Xylitol
Xylitol is a natural sweetener with zero calories, and it is derived from the birch tree or corn cobs. This sweetener actually fights against cavities and is often used in toothpaste. However, xylitol isn't just found in toothpaste; it can be used in all sorts of sweet foods as a replacement for sugar. This means you can enjoy xylitol-sweetened foods and look after your teeth at the same time. A word of warning though; xylitol can trigger epileptic seizures, so do not use it if you have epilepsy.
Crunchy Fruits And Vegetables
Crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples and celery stimulate saliva production when chewed. Saliva is our body's natural defence against tooth and gum disease, as it keeps the bacteria moving along so it can't wreak havoc in the one spot for too long. Crunchy foods also help by "brushing" your teeth due to the large amount of chewing needed to break down each mouthful. This helps to remove some dental plaque from your teeth. Be sure to include a crunchy fruit or vegetable with your lunch to dislodge plaque that has formed over the course of the morning.
Nuts
Nuts such as almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts are great for your teeth, but they don't have the same immediate, "in-your-mouth" benefits as crunchy fruits and xylitol. Instead, nuts help your teeth by providing your body with loads of nutrients that are needed for healthy teeth, such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. By ensuring your diet is rich in these minerals, you can assist your teeth to re-mineralize and to grow strong from the inside. Another benefit of nuts is that they are quite crunchy, so they can further assist your teeth by stimulating saliva flow to keep everything moving around in your mouth.
So the next time you are looking for a snack, choose a tooth-healthy food such as xylitol, a crunchy apple or a handful of calcium-rich Brazil nuts. Talk with a dentist from a clinic like Creative Dentistry if you have specific questions about ways to keep your teeth healthy.
Share7 July 2015
I have worked as a school nurse for decades. Children come to me with all sorts of scrapes and bumps and bruises. Black eyes from playing football, sprained wrists from falling off the monkey bars and stomachaches from too many sweets are common complaints. However, the issue that seems to cause the greatest angst is tooth problems. Sometimes a child will have a second tooth knocked out when playing sport and parents arrive in tears. At other times, children come to my office crying because their friends are teasing them about teeth that are discoloured or stick out. I take an active interest in the latest dental news so that I can give parents and children comfort and advice. I have included some of my collected wisdom on these pages. Perhaps this information can help you understand some options when faced with a dental problem. Thank you for reading.