Healthiest Snacks for Great Teeth

The Good Guys

Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Foods with fiber help keep your teeth and gums clean, says the American Dental Association (ADA). They also get saliva flowing. Next to good home dental care, this is your best natural defense against cavities and gum disease. About 20 minutes after you eat something that has sugars or starches, your saliva begins to reduce the effects of the acids and enzymes attacking your teeth. Saliva contains traces of calcium and phosphate. So it also restores minerals to areas of teeth that have lost them from the bacterial acids.

Cheese, milk, plain yogurt, and other dairy products. Cheese is another saliva maker. The calcium in cheese, and the calcium and phosphates in milk and other dairy products, help put back minerals your teeth might have lost due to other foods. They also help rebuild tooth enamel.

Unsweetened green and black teas. Both contain polyphenols that interact with plaque bacteria. These substances either kill or hold back bacteria. This prevents bacteria from growing or making acid that attacks teeth. Just be sure to leave the sweeter out.

Sugarless chewing gum. This is another great saliva maker that removes food particles from your mouth.

Foods with naturally-occurring fluoride. You might be surprised to know that certain foods naturally contain fluoride, including grapes, raisins, potatoes, crab and shrimp.

Tips to eat for a healthy mouth and reduce tooth-decay risk from the foods you eat:

• Eat sugary foods with meals. Your mouth makes more saliva during meals. This helps to reduce the effect of acid production and to rinse pieces of food from the mouth.
• Limit between-meal snacks. If you crave a snack, choose something nutritious. Think about chewing sugarless gum afterward to increase saliva flow and wash out food and acid.
• Drink more water.
• Brush your teeth twice a day.
• Floss once a day.