Your diet plays an important role in preventing tooth decay. While many foods can harm your teeth, others provide you with essential nutrients that protect your teeth from decay. Below is a list of eight foods that protect your teeth:
Low-Fat Yogurt
One of the key things you can do to avoid tooth decay is to include plenty of calcium-rich foods in your diet. Low-fat yogurt is an excellent source of calcium. Calcium not only helps prevent tooth decay, but it also helps re-mineralize the teeth.
Green Tea
Green tea has compounds that can halt the growth of tooth decay-causing bacteria. It can also reduce inflammation, which can protect you from gum disease. However, you want to make sure that you do not add any sugar to your green tea.
Celery
Crunchy foods like celery help stimulate the flow of saliva. Saliva helps keep the mouth clean and destroys bacteria. Celery not only helps keep your teeth healthy, but it is also very low in calories.
Sugarless Gum
If you choose to chew gum, then it is best to chew the sugarless kind. Most sugarless gum has xylitol, which may help prevent tooth decay. Chewing sugarless gum can also stimulate the flow of saliva.
Apple
Apples have flavonoids, which are a type of antioxidant. Flavonoids can suppress the growth of bacteria. Eating an apple can also stimulate saliva production.
Peanuts
Peanuts can help reduce plaque buildup. They also require a lot of chewing, so they can stimulate saliva production. Additionally, peanuts are one of the least cariogenic foods that you can eat. Cariogenic is another term for cavity-causing.
Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder has polyphenols, which help reduce the growth of bacteria. Polyphenols can also destroy acid in the mouth. However, it is best for you to consume unsweetened cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder does not have any added sugar.
Cheese
Like most other dairy products, cheese is high in calcium. It also has a protein that can help stimulate re-mineralization of the enamel. Some studies suggest that consuming as little as five grams of cheese per day can protect against tooth decay.
A healthy diet can help reduce your chances of tooth decay. There are many foods that have been shown to protect against tooth decay. In addition to healthy eating, it’s important that you go to your regular dental checkups, say the experts at Guerra Dental. This will help keep your teeth clean and healthy.
