5 Ways to Improve your Smile with Your Diet

When most people think of improving their oral health, they often overlook the possibilities their diet has to offer. However, your snacks, drinks, and meals all play a role in the overall health and function of your smile. Whether you’re looking to enhance a healthy diet or are turning over a new leaf, be sure to integrate these five foods into your diet for a better smile.

1. Wash Away Bacteria – Drink Plenty of Water
   Not only is hydration key to helping your body running at optimal performance, it’s also critical to keeping your smile as healthy as possible. In addition to washing away leftovers from your last meal, drinking your daily recommended water intake helps prevent dry mouth. A dry mouth creates the perfect environment for oral bacteria to flourish and often leads to serious tooth decay and other dental health problems.
2. Snack on Crunchy Fruits & Vegetables
   Instead of reaching for the snack drawer, reach for the refrigerator door. Crunchy foods like celery, carrots, apples, and cucumbers are firm enough to act like digestible toothbrushes and help prevent plaque from building up on teeth. These natural snacks also help stimulate saliva production. While this may sound less than appetizing, saliva production is extremely important in preventing dry mouth and in helping neutralize the acids caused by oral bacteria.
3. Strengthen Teeth with Cheese & Yogurt
   Dairy doesn’t just help create strong bones and fight osteoporosis – it also helps protect your smile! Studies have shown that the calcium in milk, cheese, and yogurt help strengthen teeth and bones while delivering casein, an important protein that helps reduce cavity formation. Other studies have also shown that the probiotics in yogurt can help protect gum health and stop the growth of bad breath bacteria
4. Combat Bad Breath with Garlic & Grapes
   While it sounds a little counterintuitive, garlic joins the rank of other foods like apples, grapes, cocoa, and nutmeg in helping prevent bacteria from sticking to teeth. In addition to causing bad breath, these bacteria can also cause cavities and tooth decay.
5. Try to Limit Sticky Sweets
   While candies and other treats might satisfy your sweet tooth, introducing any sort of sugar into your smile is a recipe for trouble. When consumed, the sugar and sweeteners in your treats fuel oral bacteria, increasing acidic output which gradually wears away at tooth enamel. Instead of a candy bar or lollipop, try an apple or other fruit and if you must have a sweet, brush and floss soon after to help disrupt the formation of plaque.

If you’re looking for an easy, low maintenance way to improve your smile, your diet is one of the first places to start. For more tips and tricks towards achieving your best smile, call Tarpon Springs dentist Dr. Emmanuel Kontos and schedule your next appointment. From general cleanings and exams to implant dentistry, our Tarpon Springs team is here to help you put your best smile forward. Call us today!