The Best and Worst Foods for a Healthy Smile

Did you know what you eat and drink has a big impact on your smile? Unbeknownst to many people, certain food and drinks can stain your smile – leaving you with an unpleasant color. Yellow or stained teeth may cause insecurities and make people wary of their smile over time.

Being aware of the best and worst foods for your smile will help you maintain a shiny smile all year round. So what food and drinks are responsible for those stubborn stains? Let’s take a look.

Food

We all know drinks have the ability to stain teeth but did you know certain foods also have that same ability? Acidic foods, like citrus fruits, can stain your teeth and also cause damage to the enamel – resulting in sensitive teeth.

Starchy foods such as potato chips can also be dangerous for your smile. The starchy product can easily stay behind, finding its way to the hard to reach parts of your mouth. If the starch is left stuck in between your teeth, it can, in time, become acidic and gradually eat through the dental enamel.

Other products to avoid are candies. Hard candy can cause cavities and infections while chewy candy, such as taffy and caramels, can remain stuck on your teeth for longer periods of time. If not removed immediately, candy can cause enamel erosion, cavities, and infections.

Drinks

Certain drinks such as coffee and tea have been widely known to stain teeth, but did you know wine can also dim your smile? Wine, much like coffee and tea, help bacteria in our mouths to produce acid. This acid then endangers our teeth by making them susceptible to decay by eroding the enamel. Not only will these drinks create tooth sensitivity, they’ll stain them in the process and create an unpleasant color for all to see.

Alcohol is known to dry out the mouth, making it easy for bacteria to fester and accumulate in the mouth. Lack of saliva doesn’t allow the mouth to clean itself of bacteria when this occurs, the mouth is vulnerable to even more bacteria formation.

Sugary drinks such as sports drinks and soda also have the same effects as wine, tea, and coffee. Due to their vast amounts of sugar, they can have a lasting and damaging effect on your smile – leaving behind pain, discomfort, and stacking dental bills.

Prevention: Best Foods and Drinks

While many drinks and foods may harm our smiles, it is possible to prevent and reverse damage caused by acidic or sugary products. Maintaining a healthy and vibrant smile should be a priority. In order to help prevent further consequences, try these habits.

Water

Drinking a lot of water helps keep our teeth clean and healthy. Water helps wash away any sugary substance or acid left behind after eating or drinking. It’s especially recommended to drink water after consuming sugary drinks like soda and sports drinks in order to help prevent cavities and enamel erosion. Dairy, like water, is known to help combat unhealthy substances.

Food

When it comes to food, eating leafy vegetables, dairy products, and fruits, such as strawberries, help combat stains, and enamel erosion. More specifically, strawberries contain malic acid which helps brighten teeth by removing acid stains. As a result, maintaining a healthy diet not only helps your body, it also helps the aesthetic look of your smile.

Prevention

By being aware of what you’re consuming and taking precautionary steps in maintaining a healthy smile, you can prevent damage to your smile. Keeping up a good dental hygiene regime at home and visiting your dentist biannually will help keep your teeth clean and healthy all year long.

Visit Weston Dental Specialists

If you’re in need of a dental cleaning and would like some professional care, contact Dr. Alwazzan in Weston, MA. Here at Weston Dental Specialists, our dedicated dentist and staff strive to provide quality dental care for every patient. Our priority is your health! Call today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you!