Food Properties That Contribute To A Healthy Smile
If stains are giving your teeth a dull and lackluster appearance, there are ways to brighten them naturally. Certain foods have properties that help remove stains and plaque from your teeth to keep them healthier and looking whiter. Therefore, it's important to include foods in your diet that contain these beneficial properties, especially in conjunction with professional teeth whitening for more serious cases.
Malic Acid
The malic acid in fruits like grapes, strawberries, and apples keep your teeth whiter and brighter by naturally removing plaque and surface stains from tooth enamel. Chewing on an apple helps remove plaque that forms on tooth enamel, roots of teeth, and along the gum line.
Minerals
The white inside of a banana peel–a natural teeth whitener–contains potassium, magnesium, and manganese–minerals your teeth absorb. Potassium brightens teeth while magnesium helps build strong tooth enamel. Manganese is a trace mineral that helps maintain healthy bones and teeth.
To remove stains from teeth and make them look whiter, gently rub the inside of a banana peel–which is nonabrasive–over your teeth. Banana peels also contain calcium and vitamin D, which will help your teeth absorb the minerals. Brush your teeth afterward.
Vitamin C
Both oranges and watermelon are high in vitamin C–a nutrient that helps the body absorb iron from the foods you eat. Lack of iron can lead to a buildup of bacteria in your mouth which can be harmful to teeth. Oral bacteria in plaque can cause cavities and gum disease.
Oranges also contain calcium–another nutrient that keeps tooth enamel healthy. And like the inside of a banana peel, you can rub the white inside of an orange peel over your teeth to clean and whiten them.
Beta Carotene
Dark green leafy vegetables are a rich source of beta carotene. Also found in yellow, orange, and red foods, the body turns beta carotene into vitamin A–a nutrient that contributes to healthy tooth enamel.
Not only are carrots a source of vitamin A, they act as a natural abrasive that cleans plaque from your teeth and gums. The same as many other vegetables and fruits, carrots also stimulate the flow of saliva, which helps to wash away stains on your teeth.
Enzymes
Pineapples help whiten your teeth by keeping plaque from forming. Bacteria in plaque produce acids that can erode tooth enamel, but bromelain is an enzyme in pineapples that helps break up plaque. Pineapple contains additional nutrients, such as vitamin C, potassium, and manganese, that contribute to healthy-looking teeth.
Lactic Acid
Dairy foods contain lactic acid that can help protect your teeth against decay. Lactic acid strengthens tooth enamel and protects the dentin layer underneath. Both healthy enamel and dentin help keep teeth white. Milk, yogurt, and cheese also contain lots of the calcium your body needs to strengthen the bones that hold your teeth in place.
Protection Against Plaque/Non-Damaging Abrasion
Fresh green beans and cauliflower whiten teeth by stimulating saliva flow that keeps plaque from forming. Eating hard cheese is another way to increase saliva in your mouth to wash away food particles which can stain your teeth.
Cauliflower and other crunchy veggies and fruits also act as abrasive scrubs that don't damage tooth enamel. Celery is a natural teeth cleaner that removes plaque and helps clean out food that gets between your teeth.
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