There are many ways to improve your smile, including regular brushing and flossing as well as attending your routine dental exams. However, it is important to realize that what you drink every day also impacts your smile, either for better or for worse. Here is a look at beverages that nurture a healthy smile as well as those that harm your teeth.
Dentists give the green light on the following drinks:
This is by far your safest and best beverage of choice. Drinking water is very beneficial to your gum and tooth health because it is a rinsing agent to clear your mouth of food particles and harmful acids and bacteria left behind. In addition, your teeth need the fluoride in water to prevent tooth decay and strengthen your tooth enamel.
Your teeth love dairy products. A glass of milk provides calcium and phosphates, which strengthen your teeth and brightens your smile. Choosing Vitamin D enriched milk can offer even more benefits, helping your body absorb and use the calcium effectively.
Choose the unsweetened kind, but tea can be very beneficial to your teeth. Both green and black teas have polyphenols, which fights plaque-causing bacteria and helps to prevent cavities. Tea not only combats existing bacteria but it works to prevent it from growing and spreading – a remarkable advantage to both your teeth and gums.
Avoiding the wrong drinks can be just as important as choosing the right ones. Here are some drinks you’ll want to stay away from if you want a healthy, vibrant smile:
Acidic or Sugary Beverages
Consume citrus drinks, such as orange juice, in moderation. They contain acids that can wear down your tooth enamel. Sports drinks in particular can wreak havoc on your teeth, with both a high acidic and sugar content. If you do love a citrus drink every day, try drinking water or rinsing with fluoride after you finish to wash away the acid and neutralize your mouth.
Coffee
Sip your coffee through a straw and limit added sugar to protect your smile. Coffee is among the top tooth-staining drinks and the hot liquid often bathes your tooth enamel. If your coffee is extra sweet, the sugars linger on your teeth and turn to plaque easily.
Keep up your oral hygiene routines for a healthy smile, but don’t forget that the choices you make in between brushing sessions makes a difference too. Reach for drinks that protect and enhance your teeth – your smile will thank you!
