First it was Atkins, then it was South Beach, now it’s the White Smile Diet
Wednesday, September 6th, 2006
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. More White Smile Diet Foods include:
- Strawberries will naturally whiten your teeth; they contain malic acid that acts as a mild bleaching agent. Crush a fresh strawberry with baking powder and brush once a week to maintain a whiter smile.
- Avoid drinking coffee, dark sodas, red wine, tomato sauces and blueberries. All stain teeth quickly. When you must eat, be sure to brush soon afterwards. If you cannot brush, try chewing sugarless gum.
- The mechanical action of chewing sugarless gum can also stimulate saliva and clean teeth surfaces.
- Drink from 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.
- Baking soda will help remove stains and build up. Brush it on your teeth twice a month, just as you would toothpaste, and rinse.
- Raw veggies are not only healthy to eat, but they will clean your teeth and remove topical stains.