How do you care for your teeth? Hopefully, at the very least, you keep them clean through brushing and flossing daily. Cleaning them can help get rid of food particles that pairs with bacteria to cause plaque and eventually decay. But brushing and flossing isn’t all you should be doing. What you eat can have a major impact on your dental health too. In fact, there are foods that can help promote healthy teeth and gums.

When it comes to your health, there are foods that are good for your heart and your brain, for joint health and better digestion. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that there are foods that can keep our mouths clean and healthy. In addition to utilizing these 7 natural teeth whitening home remedies as well as these home remedies for toothache, you should begin eating the 5 foods below mentioned by pediatric dental researcher Christine D. Wu, from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Here are 5 foods to keep your mouth healthy:

1. Crunchy foods – Things like carrots and apples aren’t only loaded with antioxidants, they can help mechanically clean your teeth. They can break up dental plaque sort of like your toothbrush does, only this teeth-cleaning tactic involves health-boosting vitamins and nutrients.

2. Cranberries – It’s cranberry season, so this is the perfect time to start eating them. Cranberries contain polyphenols that can help keep plaque from sticking to teeth, lowering the risk of eventual tooth decay and cavities. Be cautious, however, that you aren’t eating too many sugar-sweetened cranberry products. Because cranberries are so tart, most food producers overload on sugar in their cranberry products.

3. Raisins – Naturally sweet without added teeth-damaging added sugar, raisins can naturally kill any sugar craving. But they also contain phytochemicals which can help kill off bacteria in the mouth. Dr. Wu says they’ve also found raisins to affect the growth of certain bacteria associated with gum disease.

4.Tea – Like cranberries, tea contains polyphenols that can slow the growth of bacteria and plaque development. One study found that people rinsing with black tea for one minute, ten times a day had less plaque accumulation than those who rinsed with water. It’s thought the tea stops the bacteria from clumping together with others.

5. High-calcium greens – Calcium, along with phosphate, helps redeposit minerals into tiny lesions on your teeth. These lesions are often caused by acidic foods. High calcium greens like kale are a great option as they have many health benefits beyond the dental-friendly ones.

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