Food Friends and Foes for Your Teeth

If you are what you eat, then it’s particularly true for your teeth and gums. When you drink sugary beverages and eat starchy foods, you’re not only feeding yourself—you’re feeding the plaque that can cause problems in your mouth.

Plaque is a naturally occurring, thin, invisible film of sticky bacteria and other materials that covers the surfaces of your teeth. When sugars or starches in your mouth come in contact with plaque, the acids that result can attack teeth for 20 minutes or more after you finish eating. Repeated attacks can break down the hard enamel on the surface of teeth, leading to tooth decay. Plaque may harden into tartar, which makes brushing and flossing less effective and can lead to periodontal (gum) disease because it harbors bacteria.

While some foods invite tooth decay, others help combat plaque buildup. Here are some foods to seek out—and some to avoid.

Foods that are Good for Your Teeth:

  • Sugarless chewing gum

Gum is a great saliva generator that helps remove food particles from your mouth. Just be sure to choose a sugar-free variety. Research has shown that chewing gum for about 20 minutes after you eat helps your saliva neutralize the acids that attack your teeth. And because saliva contains traces of calcium and phosphate, it also helps strengthen tooth enamel.

  • Cheese, milk, plain yogurt, and other dairy products

Cheese, milk, plain yogurt, and other dairy products. Cheese is another saliva generator that may protect your teeth from decay. The calcium in cheese, as well as the calcium and phosphates in milk and other dairy products, help put back minerals your teeth might have lost due to other foods.

  • Green and black teas

Tea contains polyphenols that interact with plaque bacteria. These substances either kill or suppress bacteria, preventing them from growing or producing tooth-attacking acid. And depending on the type of water you use to brew your tea, a cup of tea can also be a source of fluoride.

  • Water with flouride

Fluoridated drinking water, or any product you make with fluoridated water, helps your teeth. This includes powdered juices (as long as they don’t contain a lot of sugar) and dehydrated soups. But watch out for bottled drinking water, which may not contain as much fluoride as water from the tap.

Foods that are Bad for Your Teeth:

  • Sugary candies and sweets that stick in your mouth

If you eat sweets, go for those that clear out of your mouth quickly. So thumbs down for sticky lollipops, caramels, and cough drops that contain refined sugar.

  • Starchy foods that can get stuck in your mouth

Starches made from white flour, are simple carbohydrates and can linger in your mouth. For example, bread or potato chip bits may get trapped between your teeth. When you get these stuck in your mouth or at the back of your teeth, bacteria love to feed on the carbs.

  • Carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, and more

Besides being laden with sugar, most colas and other soft drinks contain phosphoric and citric acids that erode tooth enamel. Fruit juices, energy drinks, and sweetened iced teas and lemonades may also contain high amounts of sugar.

  • Items that dry out your mouth

Besides being laden with sugar, most colas and other soft drinks contain phosphoric and citric acids that erode tooth enamel. Fruit juices, energy drinks, and sweetened iced teas and lemonades may also contain high amounts of sugar.

  • Lemons and other citrus fruits

 It’s OK to eat them, but don’t suck on them. The very acidic juice can erode the enamel of your teeth. Rinse thoroughly after eating citrus fruits or chew sugar-free gum.

 

Tips for Protecting Your Teeth:

 

Remember: You don’t have to avoid healthy foods that may contribute to tooth decay. Just remember to gently brush at least twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste, paying special attention to your gum line, and floss between your teeth at least once every day. And note this rule of thumb: The longer food that promotes plaque bacteria stays in your mouth, the worse it is. So to protect your teeth, eating fewer sweets is not as important as limiting how often you eat them.

 

Sources: 

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“The Effect of Saliva on Dental Caries.” G.K. Stookey, M.S.D., Ph.D. Journal of the American Dental Association.2008, vol. 139, supplement 2, pp. 11S–17S. http://jadaplus.com/content/139/suppl_2/11S.full Accessed 2013.

“Diet and Nutrition Implications for Oral Health.” American Dental Hygienists Association. www.adha.org/ce-course-7 Accessed 2013.

“The Role of Tea in Human Health: An Update.” D.L. McKay, Ph.D., and J.B. Blumberg, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2002, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 1–13. Abstract: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11838881 Accessed 2013.

“Fluoride and Fluoridation.” American Dental Association. www.ada.org/fluoride.aspxAccessed 2013.

“Policy on Bottled Water, Home Water Treatment Systems, and Fluoride Exposure.” American Dental Association. www.ada.org/2095.aspx Accessed 2013.

“Why Are Minerals and Nutrients Important for Oral Health?” Know Your Teeth, Academy of General Dentistry. www.knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/ Accessed 2012.

“Dry Mouth.” Mouth Healthy, American Dental Association. www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/d/dry-mouth Accessed 2013.

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“Brushing Your Teeth.” Mouth Healthy, American Dental Association. www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/brushing-your-teeth Accessed 2013.

“Flossing." Mouth Healthy, American Dental Association. www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing Accessed 2013.