Sink Your Teeth into Foods That are Good for Them

There’s nothing sweet about tooth decay, and it’s no secret that sugar is its number one cause. But what you may not know is, there’s more to a healthy smile than a simple avoidance of cookies, cakes, and candies. Some foods, it turns out, actually help your teeth ward of disease the same way they help your body build immunity. Best of all, they’re easy to find and simple to enjoy.

Antioxidants help our bodies fight disease, but they also play a role in good dental care. Antioxidants have been shown to help reduce inflammation and limit its effect on teeth and gums. Some of the best-known antioxidants are beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, lycopene, and selenium, which can be found in many fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe, berries, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, carrots, and kale. Other sources include almonds and milk.

While antioxidants help to reduce the development of dental problems, foods with crunch and calcium can help remove existing ones. Eating crunchy foods like apples, carrots, celery, and pears, can remove damaging plaque, along with coffee, tea, and red wine stains. Calcium-filled foods like dairy products, leafy greens, and nuts can help strengthen teeth and have the ability to redeposit the minerals on tooth enamel that have been removed by acidic foods.

Aside from sugar, acidic foods can cause some of the worst problems, say dental care experts. And surprisingly, those damaging acids can be found in healthy foods like citrus and tomatoes. But you can still enjoy these acid-containing foods by eating them along with other fruits and vegetables that are high in water content. Their water content will dilute the acids and stimulate your saliva to wash away food particles.

Many people use sugar substitutes to avoid sugar’s harmful dental effects. While these sugar substitutes don’t produce the acids or bacteria that contribute to tooth decay, sugarless or sugar-free products can be just as damaging as sugar.

The foods you eat can make a tremendous difference in the health of your teeth and gums, but the most important part of dental care is regular visits to your dentist. It takes a family dentistry expert to detect and resolve dental problems before they become more serious and expensive to treat. Fortunately, you can find an excellent and affordable dentist in Indiana who will provide the quality and compassionate dental care you need.

To learn more about family dentistry from an affordable dentist in Indiana, call Wadas Dental today or make an appointment.