Eating nutritious foods will strengthen your teeth and gums. You might aware of the necessity to maintain a balanced diet that comprises foods, grain, fruits, veggies for optimum oral health. Aside from such best foods and drinks that fortify your teeth, some edibles can naturally clean your teeth.
Keep in mind that the organic compounds, abrasive texture (of certain vegetables) can scrub off the stains on teeth. Moreover, they are efficient to stimulate saliva which is a natural cleanser so that keeps your teeth pearly as well as healthy.
Here are a few snacks which clean your teeth and are commonly recommended by dentists also.
1) Apple
Apple is a power-packed source of Vitamins C, K, fiber, potassium. Moreover, apple peels contain organic compounds like epicatechin, phloridzin, catechin, etc. Similarly, it contains simple sugar so that eating apples will not increase the rise in blood sugar levels which are associated with various dental problems like cavities, gum diseases, etc.
As the fruit is composed of water and carbs, it stimulates saliva whereas the fiber contents will cleanse the teeth. On the other hand, acidic substances such as chlorogenic acid take care of killing the microbes responsible for bad breath.
2) Carrot
Similar to eyes, Vitamin A in carrots is helpful in building teeth enamel. The major constituents of carrots include water, crude fiber, carbohydrate, proteins along with Vitamins A, B, and K1.
The high level of fibers in carrots provides plenty of oral health benefits like increased salivary production. They are also powerful to scrub plaque deposits and stains on teeth.
On the other hand, carrots protect your gums and promote a stronger jaw. In simply, carrot is a natural tooth cleanser and safeguards your oral cavity in every possible way.
3) Garlic and Onion
You might feel embarrassed with the aroma of onion but it takes care of killing harmful oral bacteria to keep your mouth clean. Researches show that the sulfur compounds (thiosulfonates & thiosulfinates) in onion are powerful to avert plaque build-up.
In essence, chewing a raw onion and some garlic cloves will keep your teeth and gums far away from bacteria.
If you worry about the unpleasant aroma emitted by onion and garlic, chew xylitol or sugar-free chewing gum.
4) Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach are essential for a healthy body. Surprisingly, they have many oral health benefits especially cleaning your teeth naturally. For instance, the iron compounds in Broccoli form a thin film to protect the enamel layer of your teeth. Meanwhile, its abrasive texture will scrap away the mild discolorations on teeth.
Similar to apples and carrots, the leafy greens also contain fibrous compounds so that chewing the leafy greens like spinach, celery, broccoli and others will promote more salivary flow.
5) Shitake Mushroom
Shitake Mushroom is a nutritional & delicious edible that can boost your immune system and strengthen the teeth as well as your bones. It contains a kind of sugar called lentinan which can prevent the oral bacteria from thriving in your mouth so that it keeps the teeth clean and whitish.
Bottom line
Aside from the fruits and veggies we discussed here, fluids like water, milk, clove oil (recommended for oil pulling) also hold the essential organic compounds to whiten your teeth.
Even though the edibles we explained help whitening the teeth, it does not mean that they can replace the brushing and flossing activities. You should maintain your oral hygiene activities and indulge these edibles as a part of your diet to add value to your dental care routine.
