Foods for Great Oral Health: 5 to Eat and 5 to Avoid

In this guide, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of nutrition and exploring some of the best and worst foods that will either protect or damage your oral health.

How does diet influence oral health?

Your diet will have a huge impact on your oral health for a number of reasons. First, your food choices will determine what vitamins and minerals are available to you. For healthy teeth and gums, you need sufficient levels of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin E, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin K.

Your dietary choices can also impact your oral health by causing damage or staining while you are eating them. This is why some things are best enjoyed in moderation to help limit damage.

5 foods that are great for oral health

We often hear about what we should avoid, but what about the foods that actually help to improve your oral health? Here are some of the foods you should consider adding to your diet to help create strong teeth and bones.

Dairy

Dairy is packed with calcium and other vitamins and minerals that can help to support your teeth and bones. Enjoying a piece of cheese after a meal can also help to neutralise the acids in your mouth and limit damage. This is why enjoying a small piece of cheese with your glass of wine can be so beneficial.

Raw vegetables

It’s not just the vitamin contents of your raw veggies that can help to protect your oral health. Crunching on raw vegetables will help to remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth while you are eating. If you’ve recently had a teeth whitening treatment, you can help to maintain the results by snacking on raw vegetables like carrots and celery.

High-fibre fruits

Foods that are rich in fibre help to remove bacteria and plaque from your teeth. High fibre fruits will also trigger saliva production, which can help to neutralise the acid in your mouth after a meal. Saliva also helps to remove food debris from your teeth.

Leafy greens

Did you know that leafy greens are loaded with nitric acid, which helps to lower blood pressure. This compound also supports oral health by preventing the overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth. This could help to combat bad breath and gum disease.

Leafy greens are also packed with vitamins and minerals that will help to support bone health, including supporting strong teeth and enamel.

Fish

Fish is an excellent source of lean protein, so it’s a brilliant addition to your diet. Fish like salmon is great for oral health as it is packed with phosphorus which is essential for healthy teeth. This fish is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D which are both excellent for your overall health and oral health.

5 foods to avoid for oral health

Now that we know which foods are good for oral health, let’s look at some of the foods that are less beneficial. These should be avoided or enjoyed in moderation to help limit the impact on your oral health.

Fizzy drinks

Every time you enjoy fizzy drinks, you are launching an attack on your tooth enamel. Fizzy drinks with sugar are the worst for your teeth, but even those artificially sweetened drinks are going to cause damage. Fizzy drinks are acidic, so they will attack the enamel of your teeth. Dark fizzy drinks can also lead to staining.

Chewy or sour sweets

We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth, but some sweets are worse than others. The worst offenders are chewy sweets as these will get stuck in your teeth and prolong the damage. They can also dislodge fillings, crowns, bridges and veneers.

Sour sweets are also bad because they are sticky and loaded with citric acid, which gives them their sour qualities. This intensifies the attack on your enamel. Avoid entirely or enjoy in moderation.

Starchy food

Starchy food can get stuck in your teeth when you chew it. It then converts into sugar in your mouth, attacking your teeth in the process. Examples include crisps, bread and cakes. These should be enjoyed at meal times in moderation to help limit the damage.

Caffeine

Drinks like coffee and black tea will lead to staining on your teeth. The best way to avoid this is to either enjoy drinks through a straw, switch to herbal tea, or simply enjoy your favourite drinks and then invest in teeth whitening to restore the damage.

Alcohol

Alcohol is bad for your health in general but it can also have a negative impact on your teeth for a range of reasons. In general, alcohol is acidic and will attack the enamel protecting your teeth. Wine can also lead to staining on your teeth. Alcohol is also high in sugar, which will further impact your oral health.

As with most things on the list, you can either avoid it entirely or you can enjoy it in moderation. Drinking alongside a meal will help to limit the damage.

Final thoughts on foods for great oral health

Educating yourself on the best foods to eat for oral health is a great place to start. While the foods on the list might be some of the worst culprits, enjoying them on occasion won’t derail your oral health completely. Instead, try to enjoy them in moderation or limit the damage they can do by enjoying them alongside foods that support your health.

If you are concerned about how your dietary decisions are impacting your oral health, make an appointment with your dentist to find out if your choices are having a visible impact on your teeth. You can then ask questions about your choices so you can make healthier choices in the future.