What Crunchy Foods are Safe for Your Teeth

Foods You Can Safely Turn to When a Crunchy Craving Strikes

We have all had food cravings at one point or another – wanting something sweet, spicy, smooth, or even crunchy is not an unfamiliar feeling for many of us. While we know the dangers to our smile when we overindulge our sweet tooth, what damage can the crispy, crunchy foods we crave cause to our mouth? Are some of them better for our teeth than others? Here are some foods you can safely turn to when you need something crunchy and some foods you should avoid for a healthy mouth.

Fruits

Have you ever heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away?” It’s true! Chewing crunchy, healthy foods such as hard fruits is actually a good workout for your mouth and jaw. Fruits such as apples and pears are not only great for your diet and overall health, being full of healthy fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, but these fruits also help to remove bacteria and plaque from teeth and gums.

Vegetables

Raw vegetables, such as celery and carrots, are great foods that not only satisfy your crunchy craving but are also good for your mouth health. These vegetables actually help to promote saliva flow, which helps the mouth to naturally defend itself against gum disease and cavities. These foods also contain beta-carotene, which is necessary for the body to create vitamin A which is crucial for building strong teeth.

Crunchy Foods to Avoid

While some crunchy foods are actually good for our teeth, gums and general health, there are others that can wreak havoc on our smiles. For example, snack foods such as crackers, chips, and pretzels can actually be very harmful to your mouth – particles from these types of foods can easily get stuck in the teeth. When the carbohydrates in chips and other snack foods break down into sugars, those sugars lay on the tooth’s surface causing the enamel to wear away, making them more vulnerable to decay.

Hard candies are also terrible for the health of your teeth and gums. Unlike chocolate bars or chewy candies, hard candies tend to stay in the mouth longer – this gives the sugars in the candy more time to do damage to the teeth. There is often more sugar in hard candies as well, which means more sugar sticks to the surface of the teeth. If this is not brushed away immediately, the sugar stays on the surface of the teeth, again wearing away the enamel and causing tooth decay and cavities.

It may be time for a visit to the dentist to check the overall health of your teeth. If you need New Hampshire family dental coverage, consider the Wellness Dental Plan. We offer individual, family, and business plans. If you would like to learn more about our plans or sign up for coverage, please click here.

*Photo Courtesy of Patrick McFall via Creative Commons License