-
Categorised as:
- Advice
10 foods that are good for your teeth
We all know the secret to healthy teeth: brush regularly, floss regularly, visit your dental hygienist, and keep sugars to a minimum. However, the food you eat can also play a part in maintaining a healthy mouth. While no food will ever replace the need to brush, there are some that are surprisingly healthy for your teeth.
1. Strawberries
Strawberries are sweet, acidic and tend to stain things red, so how can they possibly be good for your teeth? Strawberries contain malic acid, which is actually a good natural whitener for enamel – eating strawberries will actually help keep your teeth free of stains. Just be mindful that strawberry seeds can get stuck between your teeth, so make sure you floss after eating them.
2. Apples
Apples are highly acidic and you could be forgiven for thinking that would weaken the enamel on your teeth. However, the natural sugars contained within apples actually help neutralise harmful acids in the mouth. As well as this, chewing apples is another good mouth workout for saliva production, and they’re packed with vitamins to keep your gums healthy.
3. Celery
Celery gives your teeth a great workout. As you chew celery, it helps to clean your teeth and massages your gums in the process, while all that chewing will also produce plenty of saliva to neutralise bacteria.
4. Onions
Raw onion is incredibly healthy for you, and as an added bonus, the antibacterial sulphur compounds contained in an onion will kill the harmful bacteria on your teeth. But you might want to chew gum afterwards!
5. Sesame seeds
Eating sesame seeds on their own, or baked into bread will help you in two ways. First of all, as you chew, they help to scrub plaque from your teeth and, secondly, they’re high in calcium. Just make sure any seeds caught between your teeth are removed as soon as possible.
6. Yoghurt
Unsweetened natural yoghurt makes a great healthy breakfast or snack. For the benefit of your teeth, yoghurt contains both casein and calcium, which strengthen enamel and help repair it if it happens to be damaged.
7. Cheese
Cheese is great for your teeth. Not only does it have high levels of phosphate and calcium, which naturally strengthen teeth and bones, but it also helps balance the pH level in your mouth, which means less harmful acid, more cleansing saliva and fewer cavities.
8. Carrots
Carrots have been hailed a cavity fighting vegetable, as munching on sticks of crunchy, raw carrot acts as a natural toothbrush. The chewing action massages your gums, and this bright vegetable is high in plaque-attacking keratin as well as Vitamin A, which is crucial for strengthening delicate tooth enamel. All-in-all it’s a good choice for an in-between-meal snack.
9. Salmon
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for good oral health, as it effectively allows your body to better absorb calcium and put it to good use throughout your body. Salmon is packed full of both Vitamin D and calcium, making it an all-round superfood for helping to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
10. Chewing gum
Whether or not this qualifies as food is debatable, and we would strongly advise against swallowing it. However, as many advertisements promise, chewing gum is indeed good for your teeth, provided it is sugar free. This is because chewing speeds up saliva production, which in turn helps rinse away harmful acids more effectively. As an added bonus, it makes your breath smell better.
Meet our team
-
Navneet Jhaj
Dentist
-
Sarah Kininga
Dental Nurse
-
Anil Mangat
Special interest in Periodontology
-
Gemma Cowen
Dental Therapist
Navneet qualified from King’s College London Dental Institute in 2019. Her passion for Dentistry is ever-growing as she has completed several postgraduate courses. She has completed a yearlong Restorative Dentistry programme to progress her skills further. Her keen interest for restorative and aesthetics enhanced as she attended the world-renowned course in Italy, Styleitaliano Daily Menu. Additionally, she provides Invisalign to be able to offer a complete smile makeover.
Navneet has a friendly and calm nature and she aims to empower her patients to understand and better their oral health. With her welcoming presence she thoroughly enjoys treating paediatric and nervous patients.
In the near future she aims to provide patients with evidence – based holistic approaches to aid their overall health, as outside of work, she is hugely interested in nutrition, health and wellness.
Anil qualified in 2001 from Cardiff University Dental School and worked in a range of dental practices in Cornwall, South Wales and Sheffield as a general dental practitioner. He was always interested in treatment of gum disease. In 2017, he undertook a 3-year MSc in clinical Periodontology at the University of Central Lancashire, qualifying in 2020.
Anil has been accepting Periodontal referrals since 2018 and undertaken and range of treatments including:
• surgical and non-surgical Root surface debridement, • surgical periodontal regeneration,
• adjunctive antibiotics for treatment of severe, non-responsive gum disease.
• Management of occlusal trauma (uneven biting forces can loosen teeth, particularly in those who clench or grind their teeth).
• Splinting of loose teeth. • crown lengthening including treatment of gummy smile (for suitable cases),
• Coordinating treatment planning with restorative, orthodontic or implant treatment where stabilisation of gum condition and accurate prognosis is needed.
Anil has a keen interest in teaching. He spent time as dental foundation trainer, mentoring newly qualified dentists through their first year in Practice and is currently an honorary clinical lecturer at Sheffield University Dental School, supporting 4th and 5th year undergraduates. He has acted as an examiner for the GDC’s Overseas registrants’ examinations.
Outside of work, Anil enjoys Hockey (though more coaching than playing these days), cycling, films and music and a trip to the gym.
.
Contact us today to arrange your next dental appointment in Manchester
How to find us
Our practice is located in the heart of Manchester City Centre. You can find us at 31 Booth St, Manchester, M2 4AF, where we’ll be providing fantastic state-of-the-art services in a purpose-built space in a beautiful listed building. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Parking information & accessibility
Our practice is fully accessible, meaning that regardless of your mobility, we can welcome you into practice, please contact us for further information about our access. If you are travelling by car, we are within close proximity to the chargeable NCP car park at Piccadilly Plaza. Alternatively, there are number of tram and bus stops, which are just a short walk away.
