Regular brushing and flossing help keep teeth healthy by getting rid of sugars and food particles that team up with bacteria to form plaque.
Certain foods may be good for teeth called functional foods that promote oral health.
Cheese:
- Eating cheese raised the pH in the mouth and lowered their risk of tooth decay. Please also contains calcium and protein, nutrients that strengthen tooth enamel.
Yogurt:
- Like cheese, yogurt is high in calcium and protein which gives strength and health to your teeth. The probiotics or beneficial bacteria found in yogurt also benefit your gums because the good bacteria crowd out bacteria that cause cavities.
Leafy greens
- They are full of vitamins and minerals and low in Calories and promote oral health. They are high in calcium which builds your teeth enamel and also contains folic acid which is useful in treating gum disease in pregnant women.
Apples and carrots
- They are full of fiber and water. The action of eating apple and carrot produces saliva which rinses away bacteria and food particles. Carrot is a great source of Vitamin A.
Almonds
- They are a good source of calcium and protein and low in sugar.
Green and black tea
- Both contain polyphenols that interact with plaque bacteria. They either kill or hold back bacteria. This prevents bacteria from growing or making acid that attacks teeth.
Sugarless chewing gum:
- This is another great saliva maker that removes food particles from your mouth.
Foods with fluoride:
- Fluoridated drinking water or any product you make with fluoridated water helps your teeth.
- Phosphorus foods found in eggs, fish, meat, dairy, nuts, beans are good for strong food.
Intake of cold drinks and alcohol harmful to your teeth:
Soft drinks affect the teeth in two main ways
1.Caries
2.Acid erosion
Soft drinks contain a high amount of sugar. This is fermented by bacteria in the mouth to produce lactic acid as a byproduct and coupled with phosphoric acid already present in freezer drinks, this reduces pH in the mouth which demineralizes tooth enamel and may lead to caries. Repeated intake of drinks leads to an increase in pH in the mouth and color change to brown or yellow.
Alcohol:
Beverages in moderation are perfectly fine but excessive intake of alcohol is harmful to teeth and overall mouth health.
Side effects of moderate drinkers:-
1.Staining:
Beverages have color due to chromogens which later on to tooth enamel that is weakened by the acid in alcohol and stain teeth and they will look odd and especially difficult to have a bright smile.
2.Dry mouth:
Drinks that are high in alcohol content like liquor are drying to the mouth and we know that saliva helps remove plaque and bacteria from teeth which reduce the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. In drinkers drying of mouth leads to tooth decay, gum diseases.
3:Tooth decay:
Alcohol has sugar content which causes tooth decay.
4.Oral Cancer:
Excessive intake of alcohol may also cause oral cancers.