Best & Worst Foods for your Teeth

We all know that sugary foods and sodas are bad for your teeth, but did you know baked goods and dried fruit are also bad for your teeth? Or that salmon, because of its high concentration of Vitamin D, is good for your teeth?

There’s much more to it than trading sugar-laden treats for calcium-rich options. You may be amazed to learn the positive and negative impacts the foods we eat every day have on our teeth.

Cheese, milk, and yogurt are some of the best things for your teeth. They all provide calcium and phosphorus, which help rebuild enamel, and the bacteria in yogurt helps balance the bacteria in your mouth.

Firm, crunchy fruits and vegetables are also beneficial for your teeth. Their high water content dilutes the sugar in your mouth. Also, crunchy veggies, such as celery, massage and scrub your teeth and gums to help get rid of plaque.

Another food that's very good for your teeth is salmon. Salmon provides an excellent source of Vitamin D, which you need in order to absorb calcium.

Green tea and black tea both contain components in their leaves that kill or suppress harmful bacteria that live in your mouth. If you make your tea with tap water, the fluoride in it will help protect your enamel.

You may be surprised to learn that sesame seeds are good for your teeth. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium, which builds up and protects your teeth. The sesame seeds also help dissolve plaque.

On the flip side, there are some things that are very bad for your teeth. One of those things is any sports drink. Sports drinks have almost as much sugar as a regular soda. When you need to rehydrate, it's probably best to stick to water.

Citrus fruits can also damage your teeth. Their high acid content erodes the enamel on your teeth. You can eat them with a meal to buffer the acidity they leave in your mouth.

Baked goods can also do harm to your teeth. This includes muffins, bagels and other pastries. All of those things can stick to your teeth, providing a breeding ground for bacteria. It's best to eat them while drinking water to make sure you wash away some of the particles that can stick to your teeth. 

Dried fruit is high in sugar and can stick to your teeth. This multiplies the levels of bacteria in your mouth.

The next thing that can harm your teeth may shock you. It's bottled water. Tap water provides us with fluoride that protects our enamel. Switching tap for filtered bottled water cuts out this source of fluoride and leaves our teeth vulnerable to decay.

The most important thing to remember is that some foods might be better than others for your teeth. But the best way to keep your teeth healthy is to brush and floss regularly.