5 Common Foods That Are Good For Your Teeth

Last week's blog featured 5 Common Foods That Can Damage Your Teeth, so today your Southern Missouri dentists decided to highlight the foods that are good for your teeth instead. Working these into your diet will not only improve your dental health, but they all contain nutrients that are good for the rest of your body too. 

Fiber-Rich Produce
The high water content and amounts of fiber in many fruits and vegetables help to balance out the natural sugars they contain. Crunchy foods like apples, carrots, and celery have a detergent effect in the mouth. The hard texture helps to scrape food particles off of the teeth. Fiber-rich produce also gets your saliva flowing, which aids in washing away food particles and harmful acids.  

Dairy Products
Dairy foods such as cheese, milk, and plain yogurt are low in sugar and they contain good amounts of calcium. Calcium has a hand in strengthening not only your teeth but also the bones in your jaw which hold the teeth in place. Cheese is another food that helps your mouth to produce a large amount of saliva too. 

Lean Proteins
Foods like meat, poultry, fish, milk, and eggs contain valuable proteins that your body needs. These are also rich in phosphorus. Calcium needs that phosphorus to maximize its bone-strengthening benefits.  

Green Tea 
Green tea is a good source of polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants. These interact with plaque bacteria and prevent them from growing or producing acids that will attack your teeth. Black teas contain polyphenols, but you must be careful that the darker tea does not lead to stained teeth. 

Water
Last, but certainly not least, the very best thing that you can eat (or rather, drink) is a refreshing glass of water. It will wash away other harmful foods you have eaten. Water also encourages your mouth to make more saliva. It is recommended that people drink about eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.  

Another good dental health tip is to chew sugarless gum. Some people might not consider this food since you only chew it and don't actually swallow it, but it's still worth mentioning. The act of chewing gum increases the flow of your saliva which helps to neutralize and wash away plaque acid from your teeth. That leads to strengthened teeth and a reduction in tooth decay. 

Getting in the habit of reaching for the good foods mentioned above when you're hungry will greatly aid in your pursuit of healthy teeth. You should also make sure to schedule regular dental checkups to give your teeth a deeper clean and catch possible problems before they arise. We have many dental offices in Southern Missouri. To find the office closest to you, simply give us a call at 1-877-DENTIST and we'll point you in the right direction. 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Connect with us on LinkedIn

Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

Mountain Grove Office              Aurora Office

(417) 926-1160                             (417) 308-3534

921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605