9 Best Foods for Healthy Teeth and Gums

A beautiful smile is a joy forever and the sparkling teeth and healthy gums ensure and inspire you to flaunt a big smile wherever you want. This cannot only enhance the beauty of your smile but can boost your personality to a great extent.

The healthy teeth, apart from giving you a beautiful smile, can also help you to chew and consume food. The healthy gums fight against the bacteria and also protect the teeth.  This goes without saying that healthy gums and teeth contribute to a great extent to an overall healthy you.

So if you are thinking about how to maintain your pearly whites and healthy gums then you should understand that just caring for oral hygiene is not enough. You also have to give a thought about the kind of food that you consume. This is because what you eat also has significant impact on your oral health.

Incorporating certain foods in your diet will help to boost your oral health to a great extent. Just read on.

·   Cheese– It has been revealed through research that it enhances the pH levels of the mouth tremendously and thus helps to nullify the acid formation. Cheese neutralizes the plaque acids and the teeth remain protected. Cheese also contains protein and calcium that can strengthen the tooth enamel to a great extent.

·   Strawberries and Kiwis – Vitamin C is crucial for the overall health of the gum tissue. This is because the Vitamin C prevents the collagen from breaking down. The gums get extra tender without collagen and thus, they become more susceptible to periodontal disease. Strawberries and kiwis have the highest vitamin C concentration, but the citrus fruits also contain ample amount vitamin C. Because of their astringency that may help to reverse the discoloration that is consumed in a common way like wine and coffee.

·   Leafy Greens – The leafy veggies like broccoli, spinach, cabbage are known to contain vitamin B, calcium and folic acid that help to take care of the gum issues. You can incorporate these into your food by including kale in your pizzas, spinach in the curries or even smoothies that can add value to the diet. Deficiency of the vitamins often give rise to boils in the gums that are highly irritating and painful.

·   Nuts and Seeds – Seeds and nuts happen to be a good source of potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and of course calcium. Dietary calcium contributes to the remineralization of teeth and also strengthen the bones and the teeth. The almonds and brazil nuts are the ones that have the highest amount of calcium. Sesame seeds are incredibly high in calcium and ensure that you go for the unhulled variety.

·  Yogurt-Plain yogurt happens to be a great source of probiotics as well as protein and calcium. The probiotics or the good bacteria are found in ample amount in yogurt and they are healthy for the gums as the bad bacteria that cause cavities are crowded out by the good bacteria. Just be sure you purchase the plain yogurt without any added sugar. The taste of the plain yogurt may not be that lip-smacking but when paired with blueberries and apples yogurts taste great.

·  Onions – You should have onions raw. This is because, thanks to the anti-microbial sulfur-containing compounds, they have bacteria-bursting properties. The raw onion slivers can be consumed on sandwiches or salads. But if you are unable to consume that raw, you can opt for cooked onion rather than not having any onion at all.

·   Carrots – There are no denying the fact that carrots come with a wide range of health benefits. They are great for the skin, eyes, immune system and even the mouth. This is a versatile veggie that contains fiber, vitamins A, C, K and B and beta carotene. It also consists of potassium, folate, iron, copper, and manganese. These act as antibacterial scrubbers for your teeth that kill the decay-causing germs in the mouth, remove stains from the teeth and eliminate sticky plaque. Thy can trigger the production that help to keep the teeth clean after the meals.

·   Fatty Fish – Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout as well as eel are essential for bone health.  It assists the body to absorb calcium.  A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to drying of the mouth that can give rise to serious dental health issues like tooth decay and gum disease.

·   Water – Water helps to keep the mouth and the gums hydrated and stimulates the formation of saliva. Thus, water helps in getting rid of the food particles in your mouth.  It also washes away the bacteria after killing it. Saliva is the best defense against the disease-causing bacteria and by drinking water you can generate more saliva.

The above are some of the best foods for the healthy teeth and gums. If you follow good oral hygiene with regular visits to the dentist’s office and include the foods mentioned above in your diet, then you don’t have to go for oral therapies and invest for tooth capping cost. This way you can flaunt your smile wherever you go without making a dent in the pocket.