What the best and worst foods are for healthy, strong teeth ?
So many patients are always asking us what the best and worst foods are for healthy, strong teeth. Unfortunately, it is true that if you eat predominantly “bad” foods, the chances of developing a cavity are greatly increased. In order to distinguish between good and bad foods for the teeth, it is important to know how cavities form. The steps to forming a cavity are as follows: 1. First you need a thin, sticky film of bacteria to form on the tooth surfaces. This film is called plaque. Plaque accumulates if someone does not practice good oral hygiene techniques (i.e. regular brushing and flossing). 2. The plaque then needs to come into contact with sugars and starches to produce acids that can attack our teeth for 20 minutes or more after we finish eating. Continuous attacks can result in tooth structure breakdown and ultimately result in cavities. Now that we know the steps necessary for cavities to form, it is important to see what foods in