Foods that Are Good for Oral Health

We've all heard that too many sugary foods are bad for our teeth and gums. But are there any foods that are good for oral health? Here are several such foods. You may be surprised what makes the list.

TEA
Tea, specifically black tea, has been shown to interfere with the bacteria that cause plaque. The tea limits the ability of the enzyme which converts sugars into the sticky matrix which allows plaque to build up on the teeth. And other bacteria become unable to clump together, which reduces the total amount of plaque buildup on the teeth. Dr. Christina Wu of the University of Illinois School of Dentristry where this study was conducted says, "Drinking tea may have added oral health benefits by controlling through 'prevention' the most prevalent diseases of mankind, mainly caries and periodontal disease." ¹

RAISINS
Dr Wu, who also conducted the study on tea, announced in 2005 that "Raisins are perceived as sweet and sticky, and any food that contains sugar and is sticky is assumed to cause cavities. But our study suggests the contrary. Our laboratory analyses showed that phytochemicals in this popular snack food suppress the growth of several species of oral bacteria associated with caries and gum disease" ² Oleanolic acid in the raisins inhibited the growth of two species of oral bacteria, and it also blocked the adherence to the teeth of the bacteria which form the sticky biofilm known as plaque.

MAGNOLIA BARK
Extract of Magnolia Bark, when added to breath mints, can actually kill the bacteria which cause bad breath. Most mints just mask odors, but mints which contained magnolia bark extract killed more than 6% of bad breath germs in 30 minutes. Mints without the extract killed only 3.6% of the bacteria. This recently released information may lead to new flavors of mints and chewing gum.³

CINNAMON
An essential oil from cinnamon can kill germs. Peppermint, rosemary, sage and cloves are all popular spices for covering breath odor, but cinnamon actually kills the oral bacteria which produce hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). Surprisingly this result can be obtained by chewing Big Red gum! Tests were performed specifically on this brand and the results showed that the cinnamon flavored gum killed 50% of all oral bacteria, and 40% of those which specifically cause bad breath. Identical gum, except for the cinnamon oil, was prepared by the Wrigley company for the tests, and the unflavored gum did not reduce bacteria counts at all. The researcher (Dr. Wu who also did the study on tea), says that not enough research has been done to know if other cinnamon flavored gums would have the same effect, but teas flavored with cinnamon might be useful. ⁴

YOGURT
Sugar-free yogurt also seems to reduce the bacteria which cause bad breath. Volunteers ate a serving of traditional sugar-free yogurt every day for six weeks. The levels of sulfide compounds (hydrogen sulfide- rotten egg smell) decreased in 80% of the yogurt eaters. Also, the level of plaque found in the yogurt eaters was lower than that of the non-yogurt eating group. This study comes from Tsurumi University in Japan. ⁵

CHEESE, CHICKEN, NUTS
Cheese, chicken, and nuts all provide calcium and phosphorus. These elements are necessary to redeposit minerals in your tooth enamel that have been removed by acids. We all know that milk is good for the teeth, and this is because milk provides calcium which performs the same remineralization process. ⁶

Eat healthy foods and your mouth will be happy and healthy too.

1. "Tea as a Functional Food for Oral Health" Nutrition, Volume 18, Issue 5, May 2002, Pages 443-444
Christine D. Wu and Guo-Xian Wei Science Direct

2. "Raisins As A Functional Food For Oral Health", Science Daily, June 13, 2005

3. American Chemical Society. "Sweet Magnolia: Tree Bark Extract Fights Bad Breath And Tooth Decay." ScienceDaily 20 November 2007

4. "Cinnamon Cleans the Breath" Week of May 22, 2004; Vol. 165, No. 21 Science News Online

5. Nternational & American Association For Dental Research (2005, April 6). "Put Culture In Your Life AND Reduce Bad Breath: Eat Yoghurt!" Reported in Science Daily

6. "Dental Health: Diet and Oral Health", Web MD