Smart food choices for healthier teeth

It makes sense that what you eat has an impact on your dental health — we all know that foods high in sugar can damage teeth, for example. The good news is that some foods can actually have a positive impact on your dental health. By making smart food choices, you can help reduce your need for expensive dental treatments, saving you time and money.

Our Clearly folk have done some research for you and found out what are some of the best foods to keep your pearly whites healthy.

Milk, yoghurt, and cheese

You probably already know that dairy foods such as yoghurt and milk are high in calcium, an essential nutrient for strong bones and teeth⁴, but you might not know they also contain phosphorous and casein. When those two minerals combine with calcium, it forms a protective protein over the tooth’s surface.³ In addition, calcium and phosphorous play a role in repairing tooth damage.³

And if you needed an excuse to eat cheese, here it is. As well as its calcium properties, cheese has the power to counteract damage from acidic foods.³ Following a meal with a piece of cheese can help offset the acid your meal left on your teeth, helping prevent decay.²

Fish

While calcium is great for teeth, your body also needs vitamin D so your teeth and bones can make full use of that calcium.² Fatty fish such as salmon is rich in vitamin D⁵ as well as phosphorous, which helps protect teeth enamel. ¹¹

Nuts

If you’re lactose-intolerant or vegan, almonds and peanuts (which also contain vitamin D) are both good sources of calcium. Meanwhile, cashews can stimulate saliva for improved tooth health.¹⁰

Fruit

An apple a day will keep the doctor away, and it might just keep the dentist away too — or at least limit the need for extra appointments. Chewing on hard fruits that are high in fibre, such as apples and pears, will stimulate your gums and get saliva flowing, neutralising acids in your mouth.⁶ The chewing effect works a little like a toothbrush, which is why those benefits are lost when fruit is made into fruit juice. ¹⁰

Oranges are another great fruit for teeth. They’re rich in vitamin C, which reduces inflammation in the body.² However, do remember that after eating citrus fruits such as oranges, you need to wait at least half an hour before brushing your teeth. Acidic foods such as citrus weaken tooth enamel, so you could brush away tiny particles of enamel if you brush too soon after eating.

Vegetables

Just like apples and pears, the act of chewing certain vegetables is great for dental health. Eating celery, cucumber, and carrots scrubs your teeth and increases saliva levels.²

Speaking of carrots, they also contain the tooth-friendly minerals vitamin C, calcium, and beta-carotene, which the body needs to create vitamin A, another nutrient that benefits teeth.¹⁰ Other vitamin C-rich vegetables include capsicum, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach.⁸

Tea

Drinking tea — either green or black — during or after a meal can help mitigate the effects of your food on teeth.¹⁰ That’s because polyphenols, substances with antioxidant properties⁹, naturally occur in certain foods, such as tea leaves.¹⁰ They interact with the bacteria that cause plaque, either killing them or limiting them so they can’t produce the acid that attacks your teeth.⁶

Chocolate

You might be surprised to hear that chocolate can be good for teeth. The cocoa bean contains a compound called CBH (cocoa bean husk) which hardens tooth enamel, making your teeth less likely to decay. To get the dental benefits, you need to go with dark chocolate that’s at least 70 per cent cocoa — and (this is the hard bit!) limit your consumption to moderate amounts.²

Water

It might not be the most exciting beverage, but water is your teeth’s best friend. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps break down food, neutralise acid, wash away food debris, and prevent tooth decay.² Staying well hydrated also means you’ll have a good supply of saliva⁷ and your teeth will be regularly exposed to fluoride³, both of which help protect against tooth decay.⁶

References

¹ www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/calcium

² orthodonticsaustralia.org.au/79-foods-healthy-teeth/

³ nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/dental-health

⁴ www.dhsv.org.au/dental-health/teeth-tips-and-facts/calcium-vitamin-d-and-phosphorus

⁵ www.healthdirect.gov.au/foods-high-in-vitamin-d

⁶ www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4062

⁷ dentistry.uic.edu/patients/healthy-foods

⁸ www.eatright.org/food/vitamins-and-supplements/nutrient-rich-foods/healthy-nutrition-for-healthy-teeth

⁹ www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/polyphenol

¹⁰ dentistry.uic.edu/patients/healthy-foods-fruits-veggies