Tooth decay is typically caused by a combination of hygiene & dietary habits. Even if you know how to properly brush & floss, it may surprise you what foods are best for your teeth.

Chew on This

Leafy greens & carrots are ideal for healthy teeth & gums. These vegetables are rich in vitamins your body needs to support your teeth, such as calcium. In addition, their fibrous nature makes them naturally assist in cleaning plaque off teeth. These benefits apply to a lot of other vegetables too, like broccoli & cauliflower. While it’s no substitute for brushing, getting some cleaning done while you eat was never easier!

Fresh apples can also benefit your smile. Again, their fiber can help to clean teeth. In addition, these tangy fruits help promote salivation, which is necessary for a healthy biome. While sugars in fruit can cause tooth decay, eating fresh fruit reduces this risk, along with moderation, which is key in most aspects of health.

Nuts may seem like a risky source of oral health, but they are loaded with vitamins like calcium & phosphorus. If you have sensitive gums or weak teeth that may be prone to chipping, you may want to talk to your dentist before increasing the amount of nuts you consume, but as long as they are properly roasted—which softens them—nuts are a good supplement for many people. Go unsalted for best results.

One of the biggest surprises may be coffee or tea. Again, moderation & proper hygiene are key, but these drinks contain polyphenols, which can prevent inflammation in areas such as your gums. They also help protect against cancer with antioxidants, & since oral cancer is something that we should all be vigilant about, this is a great tool in your dietary toolbelt.

Big Ideas

There are many foods that can help with your oral & overall health. The common threads to look for are high fiber, low sugar, packed with vitamins & fresh.

Eating more fresh food is possibly the best thing we can do for our mouths. First, these foods are what our bodies naturally evolved to eat, so teeth are designed to handle the wear they produce. Fresh food is also typically far lower in sugar & lacks many of the ultra-processed ingredients that provide no real value to our diet. 

As pointed out already, moderation is key. Eating a slice of cake or similar isn’t something to get down about as long as it’s not a common practice. 

While meat may provide other oral health benefits, it does less for teeth, & while it can be consumed more often than candy, those of us who love a good steak should be sure to floss regularly to remove food particles, which can be especially tricky with meats & lead to tooth decay.

To learn what dietary changes can help your individual oral health, talk to your dentist. Every mouth is different, & dentists have become experts in how nutrition affects your smile.

Sources:

https://penndentalmedicine.org/blog/foods-for-teeth-health/

https://dentistry.uic.edu/news-stories/the-best-foods-for-a-healthy-smile-and-whole-body/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534248/