5 Tasty Foods to Whiten Your Teeth for a Beautiful Smile
Of course you want healthy teeth. You understand how important dental care is to your health, why you should brush and floss regularly, why you need to see a dentist every 6 months.
But let’s be honest — you want a beautiful smile too. Great looking teeth are an added benefit to great dental care. And that means having white, beautifully shining teeth.
But the things we eat and drink, especially coffee, tea, and wine, can stain our teeth and blemish our smile. And if you smoke, yellow teeth are the consequence.
But the good news is what we eat can also positively affect the white of our smiles. You can whiten your teeth naturally just by eating healthy fruit and vegetables. Check out these 5 healthy foods that can help whiten your teeth for a more beautiful smile.
Strawberries
Strawberries may leave stains on your shirt, but believe it or not they’ll whiten your teeth. They contain an enzyme known as malic acid that naturally brightens your teeth. It’s commonly used in toothpaste. Strawberries also contain ellagitannins — strong antioxidants that reduce stain-producing bacteria. Plus, the vitamin C in strawberries helps fight gum inflammation and periodontal disease.
Cheese & Yogurt
Both cheese and yogurt are loaded with calcium, protein and phosphorus that work to counteract the acids in your mouth to produce a whiter smile. Cheese actively acts to remineralize your teeth. In fact, kids who eat yogurt four times a week have less tooth decay and brighter smiles than those who don’t, according to a study in the journal Dentistry. Eating hard cheeses actually removes particles of food from teeth, effectively making them whiter.
Crunchy Apples
Apples don’t only keep away doctors — they also remove tooth stains. Apples contain a high concentration of malic acid that increases saliva production and acts as a natural cleaning agent. That crunchy bite into an apple actually scrubs your teeth to make them whiter. Plus, apples kill the bacteria that cause bad breath too.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural tooth whitening remedy. In fact, toothpastes that contain baking soda do a better job of removing plaque and whitening your teeth than brands that don’t. That’s why many dentists recommend you brush with baking soda right out of the box every once in a while. Your dentist will really notice a difference.
Other Ways You Can Brighten Your Teeth
In addition to eating the right foods, there are other daily habits you can try to brighten your teeth. Try drinking beverages with a straw so the liquid doesn’t contact your teeth. If you’re not a big fan of coffee, try drinking tea instead. Unlike coffee that actually stains teeth, drinking black tea can help whiten teeth. Both black and green tea contain fluoride and polyphenols that kill the bacteria that cause cavities and stain teeth.
If you want to go the professional route, talk to a cosmetic dentist that specializes in teeth whitening. At our dentist office in Cincinnati, we offer professional teeth whitening that’s more thorough and cleansing than products you buy over the counter.
