Do’s and Don’ts of Eating for Whiter Teeth
Date: November 4, 2014Category: Author: Infinity Dental Web
“A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear.”
For centuries, people have been finding creative ways to beautify their smiles by whitening their teeth. The ancient Egyptians turned to a mixture of pumice and vinegar, while the Romans gargle animal urine because of its high ammonia content. Both of these methods sound pretty gross, so it’s not surprising people kept looking for better ways to restore their teeth to a natural white.
In the 17th century barbers became responsible for both hair and teeth. To whiten their clients’ chompers, they would soak them in nitric acid. While this treatment did whiten teeth almost immediately, it also destroyed the layer of enamel and left the teeth white but weak. Modern peroxide treatments were discovered by accident. Dentists began using peroxide to treat gums and noticed that one side effect was significantly whiter teeth. This sparked a large tooth whitening industry, which today includes many different treatments.
But what can you do to help keep your teeth from ever needing to be whitened? Choosing the right foods can help, but a lot of teeth whitening diets focus on what not to eat. However, this approach only takes into account one of the three main factors that a person should consider when selecting a diet to keep teeth white.
Stains: This is the category that comes to mind first when people think about diets to promote whiter teeth. Everybody knows that coffee and red wine can discolor teeth, but there a bunch of other foods and drinks to watch out for. Tea, soda, and sports drinks have all been shown to contribute to stained teeth, as well as a number of foods such as blueberries, blackberries, curry sauces, and soy sauces. A good rule of thumb is if it will stain a t-shirt it will probably stain your teeth.
Chewing: Hard and crunchy fruits and vegetables can act like a toothbrush as you eat them, scrubbing away plaque build-up as you eat them. These include things like apples, carrots, celery, and cauliflower. Even certain types of hard cheese, such as an aged Gouda or Balfour, can help remove food particles from your teeth as you chew, leaving you with a cleaner mouth.
Saliva: A healthy saliva flow helps to keep teeth white by washing food particles away before they can leave a stain. Saliva is also responsible for keeping plaque build-up limited, which also leads to a healthier, whiter smile. Strawberries are a great food to pick for this reason, because they contain malic acid, an enzyme that specifically stimulates saliva production.
Other foods that offer benefits include dairy products because of their high calcium levels. Not only does calcium keep teeth strong, it helps to keep them white. So replacing soda with milk or ice cream with yogurt can help to keep your smile bright.
Another often neglected tip is to drink lots of water. This simple step helps to wash your teeth in much the same way saliva does. By drinking water after eating you can help keep your mouth and body happy and healthy.
Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.