Eat and Avoid Cavities

The toothbrush, as we know it today, is just a couple hundred years old and when you consider that our ancestors didn’t have easy access to refined sugars and sodas, you could be forgiven for thinking that it simply wasn’t needed before then. 

However, Europeans were addicted to sugar for hundreds of years before the modern toothbrush was invented and archeologists have discovered that dental problems were just as rampant thousands and even millions of years ago. They may not have been snacking on refined sugars, but our ancestors did love wine, citrus fruits, and starchy carbohydrates.

Cavities, it seems, are not a modern problem, but they’re also not an unavoidable fact of modern life. It is possible to eat so cleanly that you never need to worry about cavities again. It’s not easy, and you will still need to take care of your teeth with a little brushing and flossing, but it is certainly achievable.

How to Eat to Avoid Cavities

Minimizing sugar is key to reducing cavities, but this super-sweet and highly-addictive foodstuff isn’t the only thing doing harm to your enamel and there are other dietary changes you can make to improve your oral health.

Eat a Big Breakfast

You have two choices in the morning: You can even eat a big breakfast that contains sugar and then brush, floss, and rinse, or you can eat a savory breakfast that includes as little sugar as possible. Obviously, the latter is preferable, but breakfast is one of the few meals when the average person can devote time to their oral hygiene because they’re eating while their home and not while they’re on the go or stuck at work/school. So, don’t be afraid to eat a little sugar and then offset the damage afterward.

If you’re eating acidic fruits or drinking acidic juices, it’s important to wait at least half an hour before you brush. The acidity can weaken your enamel and if you brush immediately afterward you can do further damage. Give your saliva time to neutralize the acid and then brush.

If you’re prone to snacking throughout the day then a big breakfast is vital as it will keep you fueled for longer. Eat complex and filling carbs like oatmeal and wholegrain bread, as well as healthy fats and protein. A big bowl of oatmeal with Greek yogurt and a selection of fruit is ideal, but there’s nothing wrong with a couple of eggs either.

Eat Soup

Soup is a simple way to fill your stomach without overloading on calories. You can avoid sugar and other energy-dense foods while still feeling like you’ve had a big meal. That way, you won’t feel the need to snack on candy bars and soda throughout the day. 

If you work at an office, take a flask of soup and a salad/piece of fruit to work instead of your usual fare of candy bars, chips, and sandwiches.

Eat Lots of Raw Vegetables

Carrots and celery taste great raw and they can also clean your teeth while you eat. They are fibrous and gently scrub your enamel every time you take a bite. They do contain sugars, but they’re all-natural and won’t harm your teeth.

You won’t get the same benefits with boiled or cooked vegetables, but generally, a diet rich in fresh vegetables is great for your oral health. There are no refined sugars or fats to worry about and while you may get the occasional bit of greenery stuck between your teeth, it won’t do the same damage as a stale chunk of Dorito or piece of candy.

Eat the Right Fruits

Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges can damage your teeth when eaten to excess. If you’re prone to dry mouth, then you’ll do even more damage as you need saliva to neutralize the acidity. You can rinse with water but it’s best to avoid these fruits altogether and eat fibrous, low-acidic fruits like apples.

In fact, apples provide many of the same benefits offered by raw vegetables like carrots and celery, but they’ll also give you a sugar fix that you might be missing.

Drink Water and Rinse with it

Oil pulling is everywhere these days and is just one of the many apparent benefits of coconut oil. The idea is that you swish the oil around your mouth for 30 seconds and then spit. The oil, they say, attracts all the bacteria and food particles and helps to remove them.

And while it might sound like a fad, there is some truth to it. Researchers found that oil pulling can greatly reduce the level of bacteria in the mouth, putting a smile on the face of millions of proponents of this trendy technique. However, the same researchers tested this technique with water and found it to be just as effective. In other words, the act of vigorously rinsing is what’s removing the bacteria, not the oil.

If you want a clean and healthy way to stay cavity-free, you can use this to your advantage. After every meal, rinse your mouth with water. This will help to remove the bacteria and stop it from sticking to your teeth and gums. It will also help to neutralize the acidity in your mouth without drying it out like alcohol-based mouthwashes do.

You should also drink lots of water. Hydration is key to regulating the flow of saliva, which is essential for neutralizing acidity and killing bacteria. 

Eating Your Way to White Teeth

If you don’t have any preexisting issues and have perfectly white teeth, there’s no reason why you can’t maintain those pearly whites with a healthy, low-sugar diet. However, if your teeth are already discolored and remain that way no matter how hard you brush, no amount of celery and apples will help you.

That’s because the root of the problem is underneath the enamel, in a place where brushing just can’t reach. Your teeth consist of an outer surface, the enamel, and an inner surface, the dentin. The former can be discolored with plaque (removed by brushing) and tartar (removed by the dentist). The latter is discolored by numerous factors (including medication, trauma, and age) and can only be removed by bleaching.

But you don’t need to pay $2,000+ for a dental tray, nor do you need to try a high-risk, high-cost and questionably-produced bleaching solution. We created the Snow Teeth Whitening solution to give you an affordable, easy, and safe way to bleach your teeth at home. 

Eat well, stay hydrated, brush your teeth twice a day and use Snow once in a while and you’ll have an A-list smile all year long!

-