Food that will harm your teeth vs. food that will help your teeth
A variety of foods impact dental health, with some actively strengthening teeth and gums while others promote decay and enamel erosion.
The main foods that harm your teeth are high in sugar, acid, or have textures that stick to teeth. Sticky and hard candies, such as caramels and lollipops, are particularly damaging because sugar clings to teeth, providing a long-lasting food source for harmful bacteria. Carbonated and sports drinks are a combination of sugar and high acidity that can quickly wear away tooth enamel. Starchy foods like soft bread, potato chips, and crackers get easily trapped between teeth and in crevices. The starches break down into simple sugars, feeding bacteria. Although acidic foods are often healthy, frequent consumption of highly acidic foods and drinks like citrus fruits, tomatoes, pickles, and wine can erode enamel.
Many foods benefit your teeth. These foods help clean your mouth, fight bacteria, and provide essential nutrients to strengthen teeth from the inside out. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, and celery act as natural toothbrushes, scrubbing away food particles and stimulating saliva production, which is the mouth’s best defence against decay. Dairy products like cheese and milk also help your teeth a lot due to being high in calcium and phosphate, which help rebuild and restore minerals to tooth enamel. Cheese also helps neutralize mouth acids. Green and black teas contain polyphenols that interact with plaque bacteria, suppress their growth, and acid production. They can also be a source of fluoride. Nuts and seeds provide vital minerals like calcium and phosphorus for strong teeth, requiring chewing that generates saliva, and are low in sugar.
A balanced diet, good hydration, and consistent oral hygiene (brushing twice daily and flossing once daily) are key to maintaining healthy teeth.
At the Smile Team, we provide our clients with the best treatment options for them so book a consultation with Dr. Abid Hidayat today. We are open Mondays to Saturdays and speak GUJARATI, HINDI, URDU, TAGALOG and ARABIC. You can reach our family dental care office in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, by calling 416-546-5599.