Most people start practicing healthy cooking habits to benefit their bodies, but did you also know that making certain nutritious choices can benefit your teeth? Whether you’ve only got 30 minutes to make a meal, or hours, incorporating certain foods into your daily diet can help fortify your enamel and keep your teeth looking whiter than ever. Read on to learn about what kind of foods you can introduce into your life to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile for years to come.
What Foods Can Wreak Havoc On Your Mouth?
Certain foods and beverages can be terrible for your oral health as well as cause staining and discoloration. Because your teeth are one of the first part of your body that comes into contact with everything you eat, it’s important to limit your consumption of certain items such as:
- Sour Candies. Sour candy contains more acid than candy that isn’t sour, resulting in enamel erosion.
- Bread. The combination of your saliva and bread can form a gummy substance that’s hard to clear from your teeth. Additionally, starches break down into sugars and can result in decay.
- Alcoholic Beverages. Alcohol can cause dry mouth, preventing saliva from being able to rinse your mouth of food particles and bacteria.
- Carbonated Sodas and Beverages. Soda contains sugar that can sit on your teeth, but they’re also carbonated, which causes enamel erosion as well.
- Excessive Amounts of Citrus. While citrus in small quantities is fine, consuming a lot of acid from citrus makes your teeth vulnerable to decay and cavities.
Another good rule to follow while choosing the foods and drinks you consume is, if it’ll stain a white shirt, it’ll most likely cause your teeth to become discolored over time. If you suffer from staining and would like a safe and effective treatment option, try professional teeth whitening and continue to keep up with your oral hygiene routine.
What Can You Cook To Make Your Teeth Healthy?
Making healthy choices for your teeth every day can cause your trips to the dentist shorter and easier. Learning the best ways to prepare ingredients isn’t always obvious. You can make easy and fast techniques like pan-frying healthy by using little or no oil, and when’s the last time you tried steaming, baking, boiling, poaching, or even eating raw foods? These are healthier because they don’t absorb as much fat due to the fact that they’re not cooked in oil.
Craving something sweet? Try this oral health-conscious recipe for strawberry banana ice cream! All you need to do is place two frozen and sliced bananas, a half cup of frozen strawberries, two tablespoons of heavy cream, and a half teaspoon of vanilla extract into a food processor and blend until it’s smooth. It’s practically identical to soft serve ice cream, and all you have to do is place it in the freezer for three hours, scoop, and serve it!
Paired with a new diet, routine dental checkups and cleanings and brushing and flossing each day will ensure that you have a bright and lasting smile for years to come. You can also ask your dentist for any additional recommendations on how you can fortify your oral health and ward off cavities and gum disease.
About the Author
Dr. Cody Cohen is passionate about caring for patients and providing them with the individualized treatment that they need. She’s able to do this by taking the time to get to know everybody that walks through her doors and learning about the desires they have for their smiles. She attends continuing education courses to sharpen her skills and keep up-to-date with the latest advancements in her field. For questions or to schedule a checkup and cleaning, visit Mod Squad Dental’s website or contact 858-682-2394.
