Discoloured and yellow teeth are defo a turn off for me. There’s nothing more annoying than to look in the mirror and notice those unwanted stains. For me, having a clean set of teeth can easily boost my confidence, because besides our eyebrows, teeth feature prominently when we present ourselves to the world.
To have a healthy oral cavity (just like every other part of the body), an overall healthy diet plays a huge role. Think about the acids in our stomach that break down food – so if the food we eat contains enzymes, it will help produce the acids that we need and that impacts our teeth and how bright they are too. So, here is a list of good foods to eat for a brighter set of teeth:
1. Celery
Celery works to cleanse your liver, and the crunch helps to relieve stress and prevent plaque from sticking to your teeth. It’s so crunchy that it produces more saliva to eat, and the high level of saliva keeps the bad stuff away to give your teeth a brighter shine.
2. Strawberries
Strawberries contain malic acid. Similar to ascorbic acid, malic acid works as a natural astringent, helping to improve discoloration. Eat them fresh or add them to your foods frozen, and don’t forget to floss the seeds out.
3. Pineapple
Pineapples are rich with enzymes and bromelain. The bromelain inside the pineapple helps to break down sticky build-up on our enamels, literally stripping it away at the surface level. So, the next time you order pizza, ask for pineapple toppings.
4. Broccoli
Broccoli is more than just about weight loss. You can eat it raw, once in a while, and let the florets help clean in between your teeth. Broccoli is also high in iron, which is a helpful mineral in warding off harmful bacteria that lead to tooth discoloration. See? It’s preventative and a good treatment.
5. Apples
You’re not just keeping the doctor away by eating an apple a day. You might be able to keep the dentist away, too. Apples work like a natural abrasive scrub, cleaning your teeth when you’re chomping on them. Like strawberries, apples also have a high malic acid concentration often found in certain kinds of toothpaste.
6. Charcoal & Baking Soda
Okay, these aren’t technically foods – so please do not swallow! You can use this as an alternative to toothpaste. Baking soda and activated charcoal not only break down the plaque that’s built up, but bring a natural shine to your teeth. Use it every once in a while, but don’t forget to spit.
