10 Foods to Promote Healthier Teeth and Mouth

Every year you get a little older and Ellis Dental thinks that's something to smile about. Ellis Dental is celebrating your smile by offering tips on keeping your smile healthy as you get older during September's “Healthy Aging Month.” Good oral health is a key factor in keeping the rest of your body – physically and mentally – strong. Each week in September, Ellis Dental will share new tips and ways to allow you to show off your smile for many years to come. This week Ellis Dental shares:

10 Foods to Promote Healthier Teeth and a Healthier Mouth:

• Whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal
• Fruits such as cranberries, strawberries, apples or oranges
• Vegetables such as leafy greens, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes
• Lean sources of protein – this could mean chicken or fish or legumes or beans
• Yogurt (plain) or cheese – or other foods rich in calcium (but low in sugar)
• Nuts make for a healthy snack that's hard to metabolize into acid
• Raisins – while they may also be on some lists as a no-no, they may also help kill cavity-causing bacteria
• Black teas and coffee (unsweetened black coffee, that is)
• Garlic
• Gum, preferably sugarless – while technically not a food, you do chew it, which helps stimulate saliva

Ellis Dental also recommends drinking plenty of water to help move that bacteria out of your mouth and of course, brushing twice daily.