Taking Care of Your Teeth
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Why are some Foods Good?
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Tooth-friendly sweets are not sweetened with sugar but artificial sweeteners, hence they will give you the same or even sweeter tastes than normal sweets but not harm your teeth.
Hard cheese is made from milk by the addition of an enzyme which is tooth-friendly and stimulates a lot of salivary flow. Cheese also has a lot of beneficial ions. Cheeses from Edam to Stilton have a good anti-cavity effect, and low fat cottage cheese is the least effective in fighting cavities.
Chocolate has protective factors called the "Cocoa Factor" which protect against dental cavities. Research has shown that chocolate has the ability to offset the acid producing potential of the sugar it contains. Chocolate also has a lot of zinc, potassium and iron. Certainly, eating good chocolate is one of life's greatest pleasures.
The tannin found in tea and coffee has been found to retard bacterial processes that lead to tooth decay. Tannin can, therefore, help to prevent plaque and cavities. Tea also contains fluoride which make our teeth more resistant to tooth decay.
Milk is considered to be virtually non-cariogenic (does not make holes in your teeth) despite containing lactose which is milk sugar. This is because milk has factors which protect against dental cavities.
With regard to chewing gum, tests have shown that chewing gum stimulates salivary flow and neutralizes any acid in the mouth, thereby helping to prevent tooth decay. The bicarbonate in saliva neutralizes the harmful acid. Sugar-free chewing gum is tooth friendly.
This page has been authored for participation in
the 1997 Thinkquest Competition.
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