It’s true, eating crunchy and chewy foods can sometimes be very beneficial for your teeth! Saliva production increases when we eat crunchy things. There are a couple of ways crunchy foods that can benefit our teeth.
Here are a few items to keep handy:
Raw vegetables: Rough, fibrous texture of raw vegetables scrub away food particles and acts as nature’s floss! Most vegetables are crunchy which stimulates saliva, lowering the acidity in your mouth.
Nuts: Nuts provide vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and Vitamin D, which promote healthy teeth. Nuts also require a lot of chewing, which stimulates the production of saliva.
Sugarless chewing gum: The sticky nature of gum is great at getting in between teeth and grabbing food particles. Gum also promotes the production of saliva and helps clear out acids in the mouth.
Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate also contains some chemicals that may strengthen your enamel. Manufacturers now make dark chocolate with xylitol instead of sugar. Consumption of xylitol has been shown to reduce tooth decay and the incidence of gum disease.