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Top 10 Foods for Healthy Teeth: Nutrition for a Bright Smile

What makes your smile beautiful? Teeth!! What helps you in chewing your food properly? Teeth!! What helps you in clear speech and communication? Teeth!! It’s therefore very important that you take care of your teeth properly in order to keep them neat and healthy. Bacteria present in our mouth can cause cavities, gingivitis or plaque in our teeth making them brittle, dirty and weak.

Brushing and flossing twice a day properly are the two most important things which should be done to keep your teeth healthy. Smart and healthy food also helps to keep teeth healthy. So here are the top 10 healthy food for your teeth.

Food For Healthy Teeth

1. Milk:

Milk is very essential for strong and healthy teeth. It contains calcium which is very important for keeping our teeth healthy. All the dairy products (products made using milk) are a good source of calcium, the most essential nutrient for teeth. How can we speak of healthy food for teeth and not mention milk!

2. Yogurt:

Calcium is the most important nutrient for healthy and strong teeth. Yogurt, being a dairy product, is rich in calcium. It also contains phosphorus that keeps our teeth healthy and acts as a safeguard against cavity and plaque.

3. Spinach:

Spinach is a wonderful vegetable that is loaded with nutrients and is high in fiber. It has an abrasive quality which helps to clean stains from our teeth and stimulate saliva production which tends to neutralize the harmful acids in our mouth.

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4. Apple:

Apple is a wonderful fruit which is a great source of various vitamins and minerals that are essential to keep our teeth healthy. It is fibrous in nature with natural cleansing and astringent properties. This keeps our teeth white, strong and healthy. So now, an apple a day, will also keep the dentist away!

5. Whole Grains:

Whole grains are great for our overall health. They not only prevent our body from diseases like diabetes and heart ailments but also help protect our teeth from various problems like unhealthy gums, cavity and decay.

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6. Sesame:

Sesame is extremely good for teeth. May it be sesame seeds or sesame oil, both have the ability to remove dental plaque and help in boosting oral health. Sesame oil also has the ability to whiten our teeth naturally, while the seeds help to reduce plaque and re-mineralize tooth enamel.

7. Green Tea:

Green tea is great for overall oral health. Its high antioxidant properties prevent the formation of cavity and dental plaque. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties, which help prevent other teeth related problems like periodontal gum disease, tooth loss, bad breath and tooth decay.

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8. Dark Chocolate:

Surprised by seeing dark chocolate on this list? Chocolate has a bad reputation and is linked to ruining teeth and causing tooth decay. But when dark chocolate is taken in moderation, it can actually benefit our teeth because of its antioxidant properties and theobromine. Theobromine is a cocoa extract alkaloid which helps harden tooth enamel and prevent tooth-decay.

9. Neem:

Neem is the most common herb known to maintain our oral health. In many part of India, people use neem twigs to brush one’s teeth instead of ready-made tooth brushes and pastes. Neem has immense antifungal and antimicrobial properties that tend to prevent various gum diseases and keep them strong and healthy.

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10. Basil or Tulsi:

The highly valued holy basil or tulsi is a natural antibiotic which is amazingly good for our health. It is a herb which is commonly found in India. It is known to prevent dental plaque build-up and bleeding gums while eliminating bad odour.

That looks like a pretty long list, but look closely – everything on this list is easily available around you. So now you know what you need to do to smile without inhibitions!

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