Super Foods That Help Prevent Cavities

You already know that the best ways to prevent tooth decay include regular brushing, daily flossing and visiting your dentist twice each year. You also probably make an effort to avoid sugary, sticky foods, or to brush well after eating them. What you might not know, however, is that there are some foods and drinks that can actually help stave off dental caries. While you still need to brush after eating, here is a list of foods that might help prevent cavities.

Apples

An apple a day can keep the dentist away! Well, you should still see your dentist, even if you do eat apples regularly, but the tart sweetness of this fruit stimulates saliva production, which is great for cavity-control. Having extra spit in your mouth helps to wash away the bacteria that leads to plaque, so it can also help reduce the formation of tooth decay. In addition, the wet crunchiness can physically remove some of the plaque on your teeth as you chew.

Milk and Cheese

This one might surprise you, because in general, your teeth might not feel cleaner after you've chugged down milk or chewed up some cheese. The cavity-fighting properties of these dairy products lies in casein, the protein found in milk and cheese. It can help remineralize teeth and keep them strong and healthy. As an added benefit, eating cheese raises the pH levels in the mouth, which makes the environment inhospitable to the germs that cause dental decay.

Sugar-Free Candy

Your inner sweet tooth might be rejoicing right now to learn that candy can actually prevent cavities. How can that be? Certain types of sugar-free candy are sweetened with xylitol, a plant-based natural sweetener. This substance can neutralize the acid in the mouth and help stave off tooth decay.

Many types of sugar-free gum also contain xylitol; if you can't brush your teeth after a meal, popping a piece of this gum in your mouth can reduce the chances that you'll end up with a cavity. Other sources of xylitol include corn, mushrooms, lettuce and berries.

Wine

If you're currently drinking a glass of wine per day for good heart health, you will be happy to learn that that same glass of wine might be benefiting your teeth, too. Some of the antioxidant substances in both red and white wine, namely proanthocyanidins, are thought to be particularly tooth-friendly. One caveat: Red wine in particular can stain your teeth, so it's important to brush well after indulging if you want to avoid having less-than-pearly whites!

Tea

Green and black teas contain substances that can slow the formation of bacteria on teeth. This does not mean that you can go off and swig down your favorite sweetened tea product, however: In order to reap the cavity-fighting benefits of tea, you have to drink it without sweeteners. The exception, of course, is if you use a xylitol-based sweetener, which can boost the benefits!

Water

Water can reduce the formation of tooth decay in a couple of ways. First, if you're drinking it instead of sugary soft drinks, you're cutting down on the harmful sugar that goes into your mouth in the first place.

Secondly, drinking water can dilute other substances in the mouth that can cause dental caries. Swishing with plain water after eating or drinking something that contains sugar can help neutralize the acids left behind, and it can also physically remove some of the bacteria from your teeth.

No matter what you eat, it's essential that you brush at least twice daily and floss every night before bed. Switching over to some of these foods and drinks known to reduce the formation of plaque and bacteria, however, can help you in your fight against tooth decay. Get additional info and give them a try!