Brushing your teeth twice a day is important for oral health, but have you ever considered that the foods you eat could help improve the whiteness of your teeth?
Alkaline guru and founder of Honestly Healthy Food, Natasha Corrett, worked with BlanX, the premium teeth whitening toothpaste brand, to look at ways to maintain a white smile using natural products and foods.
Natasha’s top tips include how to combine the best products and natural foods to maintain a healthy smile, and a recipe idea for Strawberry Gazpacho, a chilled soup using a range of delicious, healthy whitening ingredients.
Natasha says that the toothpaste is great for adding a natural whiteness to the teeth, without damaging the enamel. But to ensure you get the best from your smile, use natural whiteners, like the foods you eat.
Natasha says that strawberries are great for the teeth thanks to the Malic Acid, which removes stains on the surface of the teeth. Foods that you should avoid when it comes to having naturally white teeth are red wine and too much coffee.
Here we run through eight foods that will keep your teeth bright and white, offering an easy solution to whiten your teeth at home.
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Strawberries
Strawberries contain an enzyme that works to actively whiten your teeth. So as you eat them rub them around your teeth a little too, just make sure that no one catches you doing it, you may look a little strange.
Cheese
We love any reason to tuck into a cheese board, and knowing that it won’t stain our teeth is a huge plus. Calcium found in cheese is great for the health of our teeth and gums, but it also helps buffer acids in the mouth too.
Of course, remember cheese is quite high in calories, so although it might help with whitening teeth, eating too much is going to lead to weight gain.
Green tea
Green tea contains substances called catechins that kill the bacteria in your mouth that turns sugar into plaque (a cavity-causing acid). Not only that, but catechins also wipe out the bacteria that cause bad breath - so you'll have a lovely bright smile and fresh breath too if you enjoy green tea on a daily basis.
Onions
Raw onions have sulphur compounds that reduce the bacteria that cause tooth decay. If you can sprinkle them on salads and sandwiches to get the best boost for your oral health. Just don't go overboard, no one wants onion breath for the whole day.
Apples
An apple a day is said to keep the doctor away, but it can also keep the dentist at bay too. The mildly acidic nature of the fruit, combined with the rough, fibre-rich flesh ensures that they're the ideal food for cleansing and brightening teeth.
Crunchy foods like apples can act as cleaners for the teeth as you eat them too, but be aware that if you're snacking on them throughout the day and don't have a chance to brush your teeth afterwards, it's advisable to chase it with a glass of water to rinse away the sugar, acid and plaque it may have removed from your enamel.
Broccoli
Broccoli is an iron-rich food, this forms a barrier that is resistant to acid, which protects enamel on the teeth.
Unlike some coloured vegetables too, this won’t stain the surface of your teeth either. Raw broccoli will help to scrub the surface of your teeth too, so add some at lunchtime for a brief, midday brush.
Oranges
Oranges, of course, contain citrus, and while this acid can wear away tooth enamel if ingested in large doses, it can help teeth get whiter too. It’s not recommended that you eat loads and loads of oranges in a bid for a bright, white smile, but once in a while is good for your pearly whites, and the vitamin C works wonders for your overall health too.
Pineapples
Pineapples have an enzyme which naturally removes the stains on the teeth, and they also help to break up plaque.
Cauliflower
As it's a food that requires a lot of chewing this means great things for your teeth. The longer it takes to break down your food, the more saliva you produce, and saliva is a natural cleanser for your teeth to keep them shining brightly.
Celery
Celery works to whiten because they function as an abrasive scrub for teeth. These foods are nature’s toothbrush, as well as provide a selection of health benefits too. It's a win, win.
Carrots
Carrots are a powerhouse for dental health, you definitely want to enjoy more of these in your diet.
If you eat them raw you'll produce plenty of saliva, and they also reduce the plaque on teeth too. Minerals found in carrots will also kill germs in the mouth and help reduce the risk of tooth damage.
Finally, they're rich in vitamin A too, which is needed for healthy tooth enamel.