5 Snacks That Are Good For Your Teeth
If you practice good oral hygiene, you brush your teeth every morning and night. The problem is that in between those times you have lunch, dinner, and likely a bunch of snacks.
More and more it seems like snacking is the way to go. Many diets include healthy snacking, or a higher number of small meals all throughout the day. With so many snack options, it is important to try and find snacks that are good for your overall health, including your oral health. Here are 5 great snack ideas to help your teeth stay healthy.
Cheese
Cheese is a delicious food and goes great on just about anything. Cheese contains beneficial nutrients like calcium and protein that help build tooth enamel and strengthen teeth. Cheese also comes in a wide variety of options, so if you aren’t a huge fan of one, you very well might really like another.
You do have to be careful of what you pair cheese with. While cheese tastes great with a lot of things, it doesn’t mean that those things are also beneficial. Food such as chips, crackers, and bread are good in moderation but can be bad for your teeth. Slices of cheddar, Pepper Jack, or Colby Jack cheese are good by themselves, and as noted before, with so many varieties you will find one you love.
Apples
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. That’s what they say anyway. It can be true when it comes to your oral health, however, as apples are great for your teeth. They are packed full of nutrients and vitamins, making them great for your teeth and gums.
Foods like this with crunchy textures are also good for your teeth because they help clean off plaque due to all the chewing. They stimulate saliva production which also helps cleanse the palate.
Raisins
Raisins are probably no one's favorite snack, but hopefully, you have at least graduated to not picking them out of your trail mix. Raisins are naturally sweet and can help fight off bacteria that grows in your mouth.
We are always told that we should heed the advice of our elders, because of their life experience. Well, raisins are the elders of the grape world, so maybe they do have something to offer after all.
Sugarless Gum
Okay, this isn’t really a snack as much as it is just something to chew on. Just chewing on gum is enough to get some people’s mind off food, so then they don’t actually eat anything. That eliminates the possibility of eating something bad for your teeth.
Gum also helps you salivate more, helping to clean your mouth, as noted before. It can allow for a clean mouth and as always, a fresh taste.
Carrots
Carrots have the same crunchy food benefits of breaking up plaque and helping us salivate. Carrots are very good for your teeth, providing nutrients like keratin and vitamin A to strengthen teeth enamel and break down plaque.
Carrots can be a little tough to eat alone. I personally prefer baby carrots. They are actually not bad, even without being drowned in ranch.
Importance
Your teeth are very important. They are critical to eating and provide a great smile. Healthy food choices can go a long way to reduce the risk of cavities, infection, and disease. Make sure that the food you eat will not just make your smile look good, but make you want to use it.