Foods That Fight Cavities

Encountering dental problems isn’t the most pleasant to happen to anyone. 

In order to prevent and protect us from these issues we must take the necessary steps. There’s nothing simpler than including a few foods to help you stay away from cavities and tooth decay. Below are a few for your help:

Fruits and Veggies

Including high-fiber foods in our daily diet keeps the saliva flowing, which creates minerals that help fight tooth decay. You must include fresh fruits like bananas, apples oranges and vegetables like beans, peas and sprouts in your daily diet. Eating these fresh fruits and veggies is the simplest and healthy way to fight it out with tooth problems. 

Whole Grains

Whole grains are a rich source of Vitamin B, fiber and iron, which help in keeping the gums healthy. Eating bran, brown rice, whole grain cereals and pasta could help you put a stop to cavities. 

Calcium rich foods

Few of the most basic and vital ingredients to prevent tooth decay and ensure the good heath of your teeth are calcium rich products like milk, yogurt, cheese etc. This holds true particularly for growing children. Other sources of calcium would be leafy greens like spinach, broccoli. Apart from that fish, almonds, dried beans contain a good amount of calcium. 

Sugar-free Gum

It is recommended that one can chew sugar-free gum to avoid cavities. While chewing gum, there is a constant flow of saliva in your mouth. The mineral in the saliva helps to replace essential minerals on the teeth that are otherwise lost daily. 

Other Natural Ingredients

Adopting the natural route and taking a few extra steps to prevent tooth decay can be extremely rewarding. A few drops of tea tree oil on your toothbrush helps kill bacteria and has anti biotic properties. Another natural way is to rinse your mouth with either mint or cinnamon. These ingredients not only heal wounds but also help reduce toothaches. 

Following a healthy diet is not only good for your teeth but your entire body. None of us want to exclude the ‘interesting’ foods from our diet. But along with the sugary treats, it is essential to include nutritious foods that help keep your teeth healthy and strong.

Fibre-rich fruits and veggies like celery, apples and carrots massage the gums, and improve circulation. It also stimulates saliva which contains antimicrobials that fight bacteria in your mouth. Fruits like oranges and grapefruit are also great for the mouth as they contain vitamin C which keeps the gums healthy.

Nothing works as wonderfully as plain, sugar-free yogurt to clean out those germs between your teeth. The buildup of germs or bacteria between your teeth can cause bad breath, plaque and gum disease, and the good bacteria in yogurt helps battle the bad ones. A recent study revealed that eating yogurt four or more times a week will also keep off the cavities.

Green tea contains a substance called catechin that wipes out the bacteria that cause bad breath and create plaque.

Cheese is a great source of calcium and vitamin D, and also helps preserve and rebuild tooth enamel. It also balances the mouth’s pH to prevent growth of cavity-causing bacteria. So grab a piece of cheese after that meal!

Kiwis contain more vitamin C than any other fruit. A lack of vitamin C can break down the collagen network in your gums, making them tender and susceptible to periodontal disease. A slice of kiwi a day can add that extra zing to your smile.

Onions, especially eaten fresh and raw like in a salad, contain powerful antibacterial compounds that kill various types of bacteria. However, remember to pop in some mint after!

Lemon juice is great for whitening teeth, as is orange peel. Rubbing the inside of an orange peel with crushed bay leaves on to your teeth will whiten them to make for a glossy smile. Although be warned, too much lemon juice on your teeth can cause sensitivity.

Parsley or mint leaves help keep your breath fresh and sweet. They contain monoterpenes that travel from bloodstream to lungs and are released with your breath. Always great to keep at hand!

Sesame seeds are a great cleaning agent that help work off plaque and build tooth enamel. They are also high in calcium and help preserve the bone around the gums.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish help fight gum disease. Another reason to include fish in your diet.

Shitake mushrooms contain a sugar called lentinan that prevent mouth bacteria from creating plaque. Make sure to throw in 4-5 mushrooms in your soup or salad!

Strawberry is a natural tooth-whitener; try mashing up some strawberries and rubbing them on your teeth for a few weeks. Before long, you’ll have a set of enviable pearly whites!

Wasabi, known for its spicy zing, also protects your teeth. It contains isothiocyanates (the source of that spicy flavor) that inhibit the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.

Drinking water stimulates saliva and ensures that your gums are hydrated. It is the best defense against plaque and cavities. So if you miss out on brushing your teeth after a meal, make sure to drink a glass of water.