Which foods encourage dental health?

Many people think that all food is bad for our teeth –  but that is simply not true.  Many types of food encourage our teeth to produce enamel which actually strengthens our teeth and works towards protecting them. For these food benefits you’ll want to be eating food like Chicken, milk, cheese and nuts. Chicken, because of it’s high protein level is actually great for you anyway – so it’s just an extra bonus that it helps your teeth too!  And with milk and cheese having a high calcium content you can rest-assured knowing that they’ll benefit your bones and joints as well as your teeth.

Other food choices that are safe for your teeth and healthy to consume, include crunchy and hard fruits (apples and pears are a good example of these types) and vegetables of a similar nature.  These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid).  By eating these foods you are essentially protecting your teeth from the negative effects just by letting your body do what comes naturally. So you can sleep easy knowing even though you’ve consumed sugar  –  you have protected your teeth by eating the right kind of sugar.

Of course – there are many types of food that don’t benefit your teeth and dental hygiene (hopefully you’ll be well aware of these types, but we’ll remind you anyway!) – and these include sweets, chocolate and sugary snacks such as fizzy drinks, etc. You should avoid snacking on foods like this on a regular basis throughout the day as it means you’ll be exposing your teeth to constant decaying sugar and acids. Even if you regularly brush your teeth twice a day – you’re still exposing your teeth to nasty dangers by choosing to snack on this type of food.