Food That Will Help Prevent Tooth Decay

These foods might contain vitamins and minerals that help to improve dental health, or they might contain substances that help to alter the environment in the mouth to help reduce the risk of tooth damage.

Better education around nutrition is essential for improving your oral health as it can help you to make smarter choices that are better aligned with your goals. With this in mind, we’re looking at some of the ways your food choices might impact oral health and also sharing our top tips on how to make better food choices.

How does diet impact oral health?

It’s not just about the foods that you consume and the way they deliver nutrients to your body. Your diet also impacts your oral health because all food has to pass through the mouth and the teeth.

Eating certain foods can improve the conditions in your mouth while others may create conditions that are counter to your goals. Let’s explore some of the food choices that might have a positive impact on your oral health.

Foods to consider to fight tooth decay

Although there are many types of food that trigger the formation of cavities, there are some foods that actually prevent tooth decay. In this article, we will highlight some of those foods:

Apples

It may be a cliché, but an apple a day really does keep the doctor (or dentist) away. You can prevent cavities by eating one apple a day. Apples have natural sugar in them, but they also support proper saliva flow. This saliva lowers tooth decay because it eliminates bacteria.

Switching your usual sweet treats like chocolate and biscuits for an apple can help to reduce the amount of added sugars in your diet while still satisfying your sweet tooth.

Cheese

Cheese and other dairy products are also good for the teeth and gums. Cheese provides powerful anti-cavity effects because it increases pH levels. In addition, the calcium they have is good for the strength of teeth and helps to re-harden the enamel.

Cheese is great for protecting the enamel while enjoying an occasional treat such as a glass of wine. The cheese will help to neutralise the acids in the wine to prevent damage. Adding celery sticks to your cheese plate is another great way to protect your teeth, but be wary about sticky and sugary items like chutney.

Sugar-free chewing gum

Ordinary chewing gums can lead to the formation of cavities, but the ones without sugar can actually prevent them. This is especially true for sugar-free gums that contain xylitol. This specific ingredient can keep you safe from plaque accumulation. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that has the ability to combat bacteria that lead to cavities.

Chewing gum after a meal also helps to protect the teeth by removing food debris and encouraging saliva production. This helps to neutralise acids in your mouth and clean your teeth. Chewing gum will also leave you with fresh breath, which can help to boost your confidence after eating a strong-smelling meal.

Black or green tea

Drinking black or green tea after having a cake, sweet or other sugary product is a good idea because tea can prevent accumulation of plaque and reduce the level of bacteria. However, if you want to experience the best effects, you should skip the cream, milk and sugar in your tea.

Wine (in moderation)

Drinking too much wine can cause stains on your teeth, but drinking one glass of wine a day right after you’ve consumed sugary products can help your body combat cavity-triggering bacteria.

Wines, especially red wines, contain active ingredients like proanthocyanidins (antioxidants) that have the potential to protect the teeth. Drinking too much can have a negative impact, so try to stick to no more than one glass, and try not to indulge every day.

Milk

As we said before, many dairy products are good for the teeth. Milk stabilizes pH levels after consumption of sugary drinks and products. Milk is also very rich in calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth.

You don’t have to stick to cow’s milk if you don’t enjoy it. Many plant-based milks are now fortified with calcium and other minerals, so you can enjoy the benefits. Just be wary about the sugar content and choose no-added sugar varieties if possible.

Where can I get advice about my diet?

Misunderstandings about what is and what isn’t good for the teeth can lead to confusion, and this can make it difficult to make confident choices. In general, you want to aim to limit the sugar in your diet and opt for no-added sugar varieties of the foods you enjoy.

In particular, you should be wary about hidden sugars. These can occur in everyday items that might even be advertised as being healthy foods. Examples of this can include healthy cereals such as granola, which often has high sugar levels. Tomato ketchup is also very high in sugar. If something is labelled as “low fat” this often means that it is high in sugar.

Get comfortable checking the labels and you’ll start to see where sugar might be hiding in plain sight. A simple way to make better health choices is to focus on increasing protein and fibre in your diet. These are very satiating, so eating more of these will help you to feel fuller for longer, which means you’re less likely to reach for sugary snacks.

For more advice, please do not hesitate to contact us. Book an appointment with your dentist to find out more about how your dietary choices might be impacting your oral health.