While we all seem to have a good idea of foods that might stain our teeth, what about foods that can brighten your teeth?
I grew up seeing toothpaste adverts showing very good-looking white teeth biting on an apple and I wondered; why biting on an apple and not a pear?
It can be tempting to go out and buy the latest products which claim to make your teeth white overnight, however, a lot of these products are too strong and can actually weaken and strip your teeth of their enamel.
If you’d like to whiten your teeth without chemicals, you may be looking for more natural remedies, you are in a really good place! One option is to eat foods that naturally whiten your teeth.
1. Cheese
Eating hard cheeses can help protect your teeth since chewing the cheese helps remove food particles from your teeth and prevents the harmful acids and plaque from sticking to your teeth.
Cheese increases the production of saliva, which helps displace bacteria in the mouth and keep the mouth clean.
2. Crunchy Vegetables
Interesting fact, crunchy veggies like carrots help clean teeth. These healthy fruits and veggies act like natural stain removers by increasing saliva production which combines with the foods’ natural fibers. This serves as the mouth’s self-cleaning agent. They are also known to kill bacteria that cause bad breath, and their crunch factor works to scrub your teeth clean.
Carrots, broccoli, onions, garlic and celery are particularly good options for keeping your teeth white with strong enamel.
Broccoli naturally also has high levels of iron which help to protect tooth enamel. Thiosulfinates found in both onions and garlic also slow the rate of plaque production in the mouth.
3. Seeds & Nuts
Similar to vegetables, hard seeds and nuts can help remove food particles and surface stains. You could almost think of nuts and seeds as a natural exfoliator for your teeth that help to polish the enamel.
4. Strawberries
Interestingly enough, strawberries work to whiten teeth, since they contain an enzyme called malic acid, which is used as an active ingredient in some toothpastes. Try mashing up strawberries and rubbing them on your teeth. Strawberries also contain high levels of vitamin C which helps prevent gum inflammation and periodontal disease.
5. Apples
While you might have heard the expression, ‘an apple a day helps keep the doctor away’, apples are also known for their ability to keep yellow stains off your teeth. Apples also contain the helpful malic acid found in strawberries.
Even just biting into a crunchy apple is helpful for removing food particles from your teeth, reducing the amount of plaque build up on your tooth enamel.
6. Pineapple & Papaya
They also have proteolytic enzymes that dissolve stain-causing proteins on your teeth, called papain and bromelain.
Simply eating these foods won’t transform 180 degrees the color of your teeth, but they will definitely help to keep a bright and healthy smile!
Simply eating these foods won’t transform 180 degrees the color of your teeth, but they will definitely help to keep a bright and healthy smile!
If you need fast and dramatic teeth whitening results for an upcoming event or holiday, schedule a teeth whitening consultation with us by calling our office on 020 8226 2151 or by requesting a consultation online.
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