Dental Tips: 3 After-Meal Snacks That Will Help Keep Your Teeth Healthy

22 September 2015
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Keeping your teeth in good condition takes some effort from you and your dentist, yet you might not be doing everything you can. You can also add a few after-meal snacks to help keep your teeth free from harmful bacteria that are responsible for things, like cavities to tooth erosion. The following are 3 important after-meals additions that you should consider.

1. Fermented Foods

There was a time before modern-day refrigeration (and preservatives) when fermentation was the only way to keep certain eatables past their expiration date. Fermentation is a process where several organisms form to break down sugars and other natural food particles. Fermentation breaks down different foods and turns them into a tasty type of acid.

The special thing about these organisms is they are good for your teeth, and fermented foods contain billions of them. In essence, these organisms (probiotics) feed on the kind of bacteria that are trying to cause harm to your teeth or gums. So try to eat or drink any of the following with your meal or when you are done:

  • Kimchi
  • Yogurt
  • Sauerkraut
  • Kombucha
  • Curtido

Remember to make sure they are naturally fermented and not just processed with a little vinegar, as this is what you may find in today's modern cuisine.

2. A Special Type Of Cheese

Cheese is also a fermented food that you should eat after a meal, just as long as the cheese has been cultured from raw milk and has aged some time. You already know what fermented foods can do for you, but cheese has a few other benefits that you should know about, like its high calcium content. Your mouth turns slightly acidic when you eat, which makes your teeth ready to absorb the calcium in cheese better.

You should know that this acidic environment also helps bad bacteria multiply; aged cheese has a high pH value that helps rebalance your mouth, making your mouth unfriendly to bacteria again.

3. Bite Down On Some Fruit or Vegetables

You may want to consider having a salad or bite down on the right foods after your meal for the following two possible reasons:

  • Crunchy fruits or vegetables help scrape any food particles adhering to the surface of your teeth.
  • Some fruits and vegetables contain malic acid.

Malic acid helps your oral health because it breaks down the biofilm that bacteria create to stick to your teeth. This acid also helps stimulate your salivary glands to make you produce more saliva, which is full of minerals to remineralize your teeth. Saliva also contains enzymes that help kill oral pathogens, some of which could have made their way into your mouth from your meal. And, saliva does help remove stains from your teeth as well.

The following foods contain malic acid:

  • Apples
  • Broccoli
  • Rhubarb
  • Apricots
  • Cherries
  • Berries
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes

As you can see, taking care of your teeth could also be as simple as consuming the right snacks after you eat.

To learn more, contact a dental clinic like Pittsburgh Dental Spa