But what about the dentist? Yes!

What you eat and even drink can make a dramatic difference to the health of your mouth. A ‘natural toothbrush’ – that is, foods that act as a toothbrush, scrubbing tartar, encouraging gum health and naturally whitening teeth – is one tool in your oral hygiene arsenal. It’s important not to assume that these are a replacement for daily brushing and flossing.

Nature’s Toothbrush Foods

While it’s probably true that the stars that grace the movie screens and magazine covers don’t get their pearly whites exclusively from eating apples and broccoli, there are benefits to adding certain foods to your diet and perhaps cutting others back.

• Crunchy foods are ideal for scrubbing away stains over time. While they won’t have the effectiveness of professional teeth whitening, they will help. In addition, when eaten as a between meal snack, they can help to remove food particles that remain on your teeth from other foods.
  • Apples (of course!)
  • Celery
  • Cauliflower
  • Raw carrots
  • Green beans
• In addition, crunchy foods stimulate the production of saliva, which helps keep plaque and stains from forming on your teeth.
• Oranges are an important source of vitamin C, which contributes to healthy teeth and gums and are far superior to a chewable vitamin C supplement, which can actually cause the enamel on your teeth to degrade.
• Strawberries and grapes contain malic acid, a natural enzyme which can help whiten your teeth.
• The lactic acid in dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheeses will also help with your oral health by protecting your teeth from acids that will cause tooth decay. And in the case of hard cheeses like cheddar? The chewing, like with crunchy fruits and veggies, stimulates saliva production, which also protects your teeth. Plus dairy contains calcium to help strengthen the bones that hold teeth in place.
• Dark, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are a good and rich source of beta carotene, which the body turns into Vitamin A, which helps you maintain a strong healthy set of teeth.
• So what foods should you avoid if you are on the quest for pearly whites? Coffee, tea, red wine, blueberries are the biggest culprits.

 

Don’t Forget the Water!

Whatever you are eating as your natural toothbrush, if it is a between-meal snack and you don’t get the chance to brush your teeth afterward, be sure to follow your crunching with a glass of water to rinse away the sugar, acid and any plaque or food particles that may have been removed from your teeth.

And while adding these types of foods can help take care of your teeth naturally, you still need to see your family dentist on a regular basis. Orion Dental has offices in Milton and Scarborough and we’d love to help you take care of the beautiful smiles of you and your family.  Call us today at (416) 291 – 0306 at our Scarborough office or (905) 636 – 9770 at our Milton office to set up an appointment!