The White Smile Diet
A Natural Way to Whiten Your Teeth
Mark Sayeg DDS FAGD
A Healthy Smile is an indicator of overall good health. Apart from all of the commercial whitening products on the shelves, there are an array of natural products and practices that can give you something new to smile about. If you are thinking of brightening your smile, start with what you eat and drink.
While daily home care and regular professional cleanings are essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums, certain foods can help remove stains from your teeth. Foods such as apples, pears, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers produce saliva which combines with the foods� natural fibers to naturally clean teeth and remove bacteria.
Strawberries are unique and will naturally whiten your teeth; they contain malic acid that acts as a mild bleaching agent. As an extra natural whitening treatment, crush a fresh strawberry with baking soda and brush once a week to maintain a whiter smile.
Some of the more obvious choices of foods that stain your teeth are blueberries, tomato sauces, certain teas, red wine and some colas. While we don�t expect you to avoid these foods altogether, when you do indulge, be sure to brush soon afterwards. If you cannot brush, try chewing sugarless gum. The mechanical action of chewing sugarless gum stimulates saliva which will neutralize the staining effect.
While lemons will also bleach your teeth, they are very acidic and will harm the enamel on the teeth. They may cause sensitivity and in extreme cases will actually darken the teeth by thinning the enamel. We do not recommend sucking on lemons or other citrus fruits on a regular basis.
We also recommend to use a straw whenever possible�allows food dyes to bypass teeth altogether. This also keeps the sugar and acids in colas away from the bacteria that cause cavities.
Compliment regular brushing and flossing with a balanced diet.
Calcium and Vitamin D are essential for maintaining the health of the gums, both of which are found in the foods in the White Smile diet.
Here is a list of food items containing essential vitamins and minerals that are essential for Whiter Smile.
- Celery: protects teeth from cavities
- Cheese: preserves and rebuilds tooth enamel
- Kiwis: prevent gum disease
- Green Tea: Removes plaque and bad breath
- Shitake Mushrooms: Prevents from creating plaque
- Onion: contains powerful antibacterial sulfur compounds
- Parsley: great for bad breath
- Water: keep the teeth and gums healthy
If you follow this White Smile Diet your smile will be noticeably brighter and you will be healthier. The last step to keeping your Smile Bright is to get regular check-ups from your dentist.
For more information on how to have that perfect white Smile, call Dr Sayeg at 404-255-6782 or check out the website www.StartSmiling.com .
Cosmetic Dentist in Atlanta GA |