A Grocery List For Healthy Teeth

By Andrew M. Sklar, DDS

Andrew M. Sklar, DDS, PC

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A Grocery List For Healthy Teeth

It's not always so easy to be healthy at the grocery store with sweet sodas and juices, gooey bakery treats, and sugary candies practically jumping off the shelves and into our carts. And it's not just our waistlines that we should be worried about. Many foods have a negative effect on our teeth, causing unwanted staining, acid erosion and cavities.

A tooth's worst enemy is acid either directly contained in the food and drink, or produced by bacteria that thrive on sugar and convert it to acid. The mouth's best friends are foods that neutralize acids, provide vitamins and minerals to repair tooth enamel and stimulate saliva.

Crunchy Fruits and Vegetables

A common misconception is that crunchy foods are bad for your teeth, but this is not the case with crunchy, juicy fruits and vegetables. Apples and pears are great examples. Besides being full of Vitamin C, these healthy, high-fiber treats also contain a lot of water, which helps offset their sugar content and, when chewed, dilutes the appearance of acid residue. High fiber foods work like a detergent in the mouth, not only physically “scrubbing” the teeth, but also stimulating saliva flow by requiring longer chewing time. Saliva is the mouth's first line of defense, because it neutralizes tooth-damaging acids, and contains calcium and phosphates that help rebuild minerals leached away by bacterial acids.

Cheeses

You know that film that you feel after eating a bunch of cheese? Well, it can actually help you by forming a barrier between your teeth and other acid-based foods. Cheese is also high in calcium, which helps build strong, healthy teeth.

Chicken and Nuts

Both of these foods provide calcium and phosphorus needed to build and re-mineralize teeth.

Coffee/Green & Black Teas

All contain compounds called polyphenols that interact with the bacteria that causes plaque. These polyphenols either kill or suppress bacteria, preventing them from growing or producing tooth-attacking acid.

Sugar-Free Gum

Chewing sugar free gum is a great way to dislodge food stuck in between your teeth and increase saliva flow. However, make sure that the gum you chew uses the sugar substitute xylitol a type of sugar extracted from a plant.

Xylitol has antimicrobial properties, inhibiting oral bacteria and preventing the bacteria from sticking to the teeth. In addition, xylitol can actually battle tooth decay because it works against mutans streptococci, the bacteria that causes tooth decay.