Snack Foods that Are Healthy for Teeth

Are you curious about which snack foods are actually good for your oral care? Teeth are important to keep healthy, and so we have to all watch what we put into our mouths, because so many things are bad for our teeth. Oral care can be really simple as long as you know which kinds of snack foods are best for your teeth.

Stay away from sugar, because it can really cause damage to your teeth, such as cavities and tooth decay. The key snacks to avoid eating are sugary treats like candy, and starches that can turn into sugar, like whole wheat bread. You also need to stay away from sticky snacks like dried fruit, jelly beans, caramels and granola bars, because they stick to your mouth, making sugar stay longer in your mouth. Here are snack foods that are healthy for teeth:

Vegetables

A great snack for keeping teeth healthy is vegetables. Always keep some chopped vegetables on hand for snack time. The best vegetables to eat for oral care are raw vegetables. Some examples of good raw vegetables to eat are tomatoes, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, carrots and cauliflower. I know that some people like ranch dressing to dip their vegetables in, but if you really want healthy teeth, you should pass on it. It is just an added sugar that you really do not need near your teeth.

Whole Grains

Some whole grains make good snack foods that are healthy for teeth. For example, pretzels, baked tortilla chips and crackers can be good for teeth. However, there are some whole grains that are actually really bad for your teeth. For example, stay away from popcorn, because the kernels can cause infection if they get stuck in your teeth. Some whole grains like whole grain bread have a lot of starch, and starch turns into sugar really quickly, which is very bad for your teeth.

Meat and Fish

Fish is a great snack for healthy teeth. Try not to eat fried fish, though, because it is not as healthy for you as baked fish. Have a couple slices of lean meat to snack on if you are hungry. Turkey and chicken are great snack foods that are healthy for teeth. Just be careful of bones in the meat, because biting into one can hurt your teeth.

Fruit

A simple healthy snack to grab is fruit. Fresh fruit is best. Pears, melons, berries, grapes and apples are all good to eat for healthy teeth. However, keep away from fruit that has a lot of acid in it. Acid destroys teeth. So avoid acid fruits like lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, pineapple and oranges.

Dairy

Dairy can be good and bad for your teeth. It can be bad if you soak your teeth in dairy for too long. I know many babies and toddlers cause tooth decay because they suck on their bottle of milk for too long. However, dairy can actually be really good for your teeth because it has vitamin D and calcium in it, which helps your teeth stay healthy. Have some cottage cheese with some fresh fruit in it for a good snack, or enjoy a nice cup of yogurt. You could also slice up some cheeses like cheddar or Swiss for a tasty snack.

With all snacks, you should always brush your teeth after eating them so you can keep your teeth as healthy as possible. Oral care can be really simple once you take the steps to help your teeth remain healthy, like eating snacks that are healthy for your teeth.

Sources:

http://www.kidsource.com/health/snack.smart.html

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=13207947