The Best and Worst Foods for Your Teeth

When we eat any meal, do we often wonder if this food is good for teeth? Poor diet affects the entire immune system, increasing a person's susceptibility to many disorders. In addition, research shows a link between oral health and systemic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Eating varied products will improve dental health, and increasing fiber and vitamins in the diet will also help reduce the risk of other diseases.

Food that’s good for teeth should contain a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, vitamins and microelements. It has a positive effect on the state of the oral cavity organs, in particular, it maintains the health of the gums and teeth, regulates the amount and biochemical composition of saliva, and also affects the subjective sensations of taste.

The Best Food for Teeth

To make the body works as a well-coordinated mechanism, it’s important to provide it with useful components – fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. The condition of teeth and gums is greatly influenced by calcium, as the main element of teeth and bones; fluorine and phosphorus, which prevent the negative effects of acids on dental tissues; iron, vitamins C and A, which strengthen blood vessels.

What Should You Include in Your Diet to Get Healthy Teeth

Best foods for dental health should have several characteristics: strengthen the jawbones, inhibit harmful microflora in the oral cavity, and normalize blood flow in the gums. If the food has at least one of these requirements, then it can be considered quite good to consume.

First of all, look for protein foods, fruits and vegetables, which contain sufficient amounts of calcium. The deficiency of calcium and phosphorus in the body leads to serious health problems. And the dentition is at high risk. To maintain health, you need to consume the following foods:

• Rough vegetables and fruits (carrots, apples, cucumbers) are one of the best foods for teeth. Thanks to many vitamins and microelements, they normalize blood circulation in the gums and supply calcium and phosphorus necessary for dental health.
• Different types of greens, which contain a lot of vitamins, potassium, iron, phosphorus, etc., strengthen not only teeth but also immunity in general. It makes them one of the best tooth healthy foods.
• Dairy products such as cottage cheese and milk are considered effective in preventing tooth decay and increasing the concentration of calcium in the tooth enamel.
• The berries are rich in a unique combination of organic acids, vitamins, pigments and pectins. They can block bacteria from accessing the enamel.
• Seafood is food for strong teeth and gums, it strengthens immunity, and improves complexion and hair health. Also, due to the high content of iodine and calcium, anti-caries protection for the teeth is provided.
• Honey is perhaps the only sweetness that is beneficial for the teeth. It has antibacterial properties, strengthens the body, effectively treats stomatitis and inflammation in the oral cavity.
• Drinking clean water has a positive effect on dental health. Fluoridated water strengthens enamel and prevents tooth decay and plaque.

These products are a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals that help to make teeth stronger. It’s also recommended to eat fruits and vegetables rich in calcium with foods containing phosphorus: fish, beef, poultry, liver. In this form, they are absorbed better and will bring maximum benefit.

What Food for Healthy Gums Should Be Included in the Diet

Dental health is directly related to the health of the gums. If there is bleeding, signs of inflammation, then soon it will lead to the loss of teeth. To prevent this, it's recommended to consume enough tough vegetables and fruits, that massage the gums and improve blood circulation. This choice provides blood flow to the tissues, due to which they are better supplied with oxygen and nutrients. Just a couple of rough vegetables or fruits a day – and the gums are provided with a good massage, and the teeth – getting rid of deposits. In addition, these vegetables stimulate the secretion of saliva, constantly washing the mouth and reducing the number of germs and bacteria.

The following products will bring the maximum benefit in strengthening the gums:

• milk, sea fish;
• pumpkin, carrots, apples;
• leafy vegetables;
• garden and forest berries.

These products contain calcium and iodine, fluorine and zinc, phosphorus and selenium, and a vitamin complex. Therefore, their daily intake provides high-quality metabolic processes and tissue nutrition, cleaning teeth from plaque, protection from caries due to antibacterial properties.

The Worst Food for Teeth

In contrast to healthy foods that have a beneficial effect on teeth, you need to pay attention to foods that, on the contrary, have a detrimental effect. Foods that contain sugar and starch have a particularly negative effect on the condition of the tooth enamel. First of all, such products include chocolate and other sweets, the high sugar content of which contributes to the growth of bacteria in the oral cavity. Sugar is one of the main sources of nutrition for all kinds of bacteria that accumulate on the tooth enamel, which can lead to the formation of tooth decay.

What Products are Most Harmful to Teeth

Both adults and children know that sweets, cakes and other desserts are bad food for teeth. But it turns out that they are not the only ones. Harmful food damages enamel, destroys teeth and injures the gums with acids that are part of it. Sugar and sweets slow down the absorption of calcium, upset the acid-base balance in the mouth.

What other products can be called the worst food for teeth:

• Excessively hot or cold food. It can weaken and damage tooth enamel. A variety of microbes will easily enter the formed microcracks.
• Sugar-containing foods. Suitable breeding ground for bacteria that cause caries and destroy enamel and dentin. The worst candy for teeth is the one that clings and gets stuck in the teeth.
• Sour and salty foods. The high acidity of some foods can destroy tooth enamel. Dangerous are sour sauces, ketchup, pickled vegetables and pickles.
• Fruits and berries. Eating them in large quantities also harms the health of teeth and gums. Many sweet fruits are high in fructose.
• Nuts and seeds. Hard fruits mechanically act on the tooth enamel and chip on the teeth, which increases the risk of caries.
• Chips and croutons. Snacks contribute to a long-lasting feeling of dry mouth and reduce salivation. It’s saliva that naturally cleans teeth from food debris and has an antimicrobial effect.

Drinks That Destroy Enamel

It’s not just junk food that harms health. Usually, attention is paid to food and its effects on the body, and fluids are completely forgotten. Oftentimes, people do not pay attention to what they drink and therefore make a mistake. The worst drinks for your teeth can also have a detrimental effect on the enamel, destroying it.

First of all, you should give up carbonated drinks. They contain a large number of acids and sugar, thinning the enamel. Any carbonated water also contains carbon dioxide, which in large quantities leads to damage to the enamel. This entails an increase in sensitivity to hot and cold, tooth decay and even tooth decay.

Fruits and berries are certainly healthy due to their high vitamin content. However, they also contain organic acids that erode the surface of the teeth, exposing the pores of the enamel. Citrus drinks, which contain a large number of acidic substances, are especially harmful. Natural pigments settle on the enamel, causing it to loosen. They are also foods that stain teeth, so they should be consumed in moderation. Cherries, currants, blueberries, blueberries can have such an effect.

Black tea contains a large number of tannins, which contribute to the active formation of dental plaque. Coffee has a high acid-forming ability; it contains coloring pigments that quickly penetrate hard tissues and change their color.

Drinking alcohol is harmful to the entire human body, and teeth are no exception. Since alcohol washes out calcium from the body, with its regular use, the teeth become more fragile, begin to crumble, and cracks appear on the enamel. Wine harms the color of the teeth – the acids and artificial colors contained in it corrode the enamel and change its color. They suffer from alcohol and gums – they become inflamed, bleed and can no longer serve as reliable support for the teeth, which, in turn, loosen up to the point of loss.

To maintain a healthy oral cavity, avoid eating the worst foods for your teeth. Increase your intake of proper foods, that will keep your teeth healthy. Do not forget about regular oral hygiene, as well as a timely visit to the dentist. It will save you unnecessary dental problems.