When it comes to your teeth, regular brushing and flossing aren't enough. What comes in contact with your teeth every day is just as important as your hygiene practices. Eating foods that are rich in calcium, antioxidants and vitamins C and D are important for the overall health of your mouth. Not only will these types of foods guard your mouth from harmful bacteria, they will make your teeth stronger and healthier. Below is a list of foods that you need to incorporate into your diet in order to achieve maximum dental health.

Cranberries

Cranberries are an amazing fruit to eat every day for multiple reasons. Our teeth are bacteria magnets. Cranberries are a natural defense to the bacteria that causes cavities and gingivitis. This fruit has natural enzymes that not only stops the bacteria from clinging onto your teeth, but also kills the bacteria. Cranberries can stop plaque from forming on your teeth by stopping glucan, a main plaque builder, from forming.

Cheese

If you love to eat cheese, you now have an excuse to do it. Cheese is full of calcium, which helps teeth to grower stronger and healthier. It also removes the high level of acid that forms on the gums and teeth, making it harder for plaque to form. And if all of that wasn't enough, cheese promotes saliva production, which is the mouth's natural defense when fighting off bacteria.

Yogurt

Yogurt is among the best foods to eat every day for optimal dental health. Like the cheese, yogurt is full of calcium, but it is also full of probiotics, which is one thing that cheese lacks. Probiotics creates a shield over your teeth so that bacteria can't stick and form cavities. It will also guard your mouth against gum disease and gingivitis. It can even cure bad breath if you suffer from halitosis.

Pears

Most fruits are high in acid and, if consumed too often, can start to wear on the enamel of your teeth. Pears, however, are a natural acid neutralizer. Pears remove the harmful levels of acid from your mouth that eat away at your tooth enamel, which causes tooth decay. Pears are also a fibrous fruit, which means they promote saliva production.

There are so many things you can do for your mouth to promote dental health. By adding the foods listed above to your daily diet, you will fight against tooth decay and dental diseases while making your teeth stronger and healthier. Contact a Chesterton dentist for more help.