Ok, so there are plenty of foods that can promote tooth decay during certain lulls in dental hygiene.
But what about foods that can also help combat tooth decay. What are these foods? And can these avengers truly fight back against cavities?
Yes, they sure can. The trick, however, is to sneak these foods into our kids, and our, daily diet routine.
Here’s a list of some foods, and tips, that can help fight those pesky sugar bugs.
- Foods that can neutralize acids, such as apples (an apple a day!), pears and yogurt.
- Saliva neutralizing acids help prevent tooth decay, like high fiber veggies (think celery, parsley or watermelon). Because these foods take longer to chew, they help stimulate saliva production.
- Foods that offer calcium and phosphates help to strengthen the tooth’s surface. Foods like raw nuts, or yogurt.
- Crunchy vegetables and fruits that have a high water content can help dilute the sugar accumulated within the mouth and also wash away food particles – celery, apples, and cucumbers.
- Drinking water throughout the day helps to wash teeth and also flush away bacteria.
- Minimize the acid levels in certain foods, like tomatoes or citrus fruits, by eating them with other types of food.
- Ask for a straw! Sipping those sugary drinks through a straw will help limit the sugar contact with the teeth (and it will also help prevent the need to chew any ice!).
It’s no surprise that those foods that tend to damage teeth have also been shown to damage overall health, while those foods that are favorable to our teeth are also favorable to overall good health. Bottom line, we should eat well and avoid sugar. That’s a good reason to remind our kids, as well, unless it happens to be during the summer…
Summer is also a great time of year for parents to get their kids’ dental check-ups done before school starts – Schedule a dental examination for your child.