Good Foods for Teeth
Many foods are bad for your teeth and can cause tooth decay. And these aren't just the obvious sweets and chocolate!
Our diets are becoming more and more acidic and even foods that are good for us generally eg. citrus fruits or sparkling water can cause enamel erosion. Just follow these 7 simple steps to make sure that the foods you are eating don't have a detrimental effect on your teeth and gums:
- Foods that need a lot of chewing such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and cereals are important for healthy teeth and gums.
- Eat plenty of calcium rich foods such as milk and cheese. Some plain yoghurts can also be good but many contain sugar so do check the label.
- If you must eat between meals, do try and ensure that the snack doesn't contain sugar.
- Take tea and coffee without sugar. If you do like a sweeter taste then use artificial sweeteners instead.
- As a general rule, highly processed foods eg. biscuits, crisps, tinned foods are not great for teeth and should be avoided or eaten when you can brush your teeth immediately afterwards.
- Avoid fizzy drinks. Even drinks that we think are good for us like fruit juices can be high in processed sugar eg. apple juice, cranberry juice and orange juice from concentrate. Always check the ingredients label.
- After eating fruit or drinking juices don't brush your teeth as the fruit sugars can soften tooth enamel. Chew sugar free chewing gum to help raise your mouth's pH.
Do ask the hygienist for further information.
