8 surprising foods to ensure healthy teeth and prevent tooth decay
Taking care of your teeth is essential if you want to avoid tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss, but tooth care goes beyond simply brushing your teeth. Certain foods contain properties that can help strengthen and maintain healthy teeth, and some of them may be quite a surprise.
We all know we should brush and floss our teeth and limit sugar intake if we want to prevent tooth decay and tooth loss. But ensuring healthy teeth and gums doesn’t just come down to brushing your teeth twice a day and swapping cola for the sugar-free version. Keeping your teeth strong and healthy can also be ensured by eating the right kinds of foods, containing properties beneficial to oral health. Sally Rayment, dentist at The Implant Centre Hove and Hayward’s Heath, recommends the following eight foods to help you maintain a dazzling smile.
Strawberries
Strawberries are great for the teeth and gums as they contain high levels of vitamin C, which helps the body to produce the collagen needed to maintain gum strength.
“People wrongly assume that strawberries stain the teeth, but quite the opposite is true. Strawberries contain malic acid - a natural enamel whitener,” said Rayment.
Salmon
A “superfood for our mouths”, salmon is packed full of vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential to oral health as it helps the body to absorb calcium, which is vital for healthy gums, bones, and teeth.
As well as helping the body to absorb calcium, salmon itself contains high levels of the mineral.
Sugar-free chewing gum
Chewing on sugar-free gum produces more saliva in the mouth, which helps to reduce acid and plaque build-up, thus strengthening the teeth and reducing the risk of tooth decay.
Cooked duck and steak
Cooked duck and steak contain phosphorus, which is good for protecting bone and enamel.
Dark chocolate
The antioxidants found in cacao help neutralise the bacteria that cause halitosis (bad breath).
Opt for chocolate that is at least 70 per cent cacao so you don’t counteract the benefits with lots of sugar.
Carrots, apples, and celery
Crunching on carrots, apples, and celery gives your mouth a good workout by producing lots of saliva, which helps to neutralise bacteria.
These vegetables almost act as a natural toothbrush, massaging your gums and ‘brushing’ the teeth as you chew.
Cashew nuts and peanuts
Both cashew nuts and peanuts contain calcium and vitamin D, and eating them also helps to stimulate saliva.
Onions
When eaten raw, onions have powerful antibacterial properties that help kill harmful bacteria on the teeth.
Foods to limit or avoid for a cavity-free smile
• Sugary fizzy drinks - A constant sugar bath for teeth; acids in carbonation further erode enamel.
• Sticky or chewy sweets (toffee, caramels, gummies) - Adhere to tooth surfaces and sit in crevices, feeding decay-causing bacteria for hours.
• Hard candies and lollipops - Dissolve slowly, keeping sugar levels high in saliva; biting them can also chip teeth.
• Dried fruit (raisins, dates, fruit leathers) - Highly concentrated sugars and a sticky texture that clings to enamel like glue.
• Starchy “white” snacks (crisps, white bread, crackers) - Quickly break down into simple sugars and lodge between teeth, fuelling plaque.
• Citrus fruits and juices in excess - Vitamin-rich but extremely acidic; frequent exposure softens and thins enamel.
• Sports and energy drinks - Often as sugary and acidic as soda, yet sipped slowly during workouts when saliva is low.
• Alcohol—especially sweet mixers or wines sipped for hours - Dries the mouth, reducing protective saliva, while sugars and acids attack enamel.
• Coffee or tea loaded with sugar or syrups - Added sweeteners promote decay, and the dark pigments stain enamel.
• Ice (chewing it) - No sugar, but the habit can fracture or craze enamel, making teeth more vulnerable.