Ten Tips for Oral Care
There are many ways to whiten teeth, but you must know how to choose. Only by selecting the appropriate method based on your own dental condition can you achieve the best results. The following ten foods can help you whiten your teeth just by eating them.
1. Celery
The coarse fibers act like a broom, sweeping away some food residue from your teeth. Furthermore, the more you chew, the more it stimulates saliva secretion, balancing the pH level in your mouth and achieving a natural antibacterial effect.
2. Guava/Banana
Tropical fruits are high in vitamin C, which helps maintain gum health. A severe deficiency can make gums fragile, prone to disease, and lead to symptoms like swollen or bleeding gums, and loose or falling teeth.
3. Cheese
Calcium and phosphate can balance the pH in your mouth, preventing it from becoming an acidic environment that is favorable for bacterial activity and causes cavities. Regular consumption can increase calcium on the tooth surface, helping to strengthen and rebuild enamel, making teeth stronger.
4. Sugar-free Gum
It can increase saliva production, neutralize acid in the mouth, and further prevent cavities.
5. Mint
Mint leaves contain monoterpenes, which can enter the bloodstream and reach the lungs, making your breath feel fresh.
6. Water
Drinking an adequate amount of water keeps your gums moist and stimulates saliva production. After eating, drinking water can wash away leftover food residue, preventing bacteria from getting nutrients and causing damage to your teeth.
7. Green Tea
Green tea contains a large amount of fluoride, which combines with the hydroxyapatite in teeth to have an acid-resistant and anti-cavity effect. Catechins can reduce the *Streptococcus mutans* that cause cavities and also eliminate bad breath.
8. Onion
The sulfur compounds in onions are powerful antibacterial ingredients that can kill *Streptococcus mutanus*, the bacteria that causes cavities.
9. Shiitake Mushroom
The lentinan contained in shiitake mushrooms can inhibit bacteria in the mouth from forming plaque.
10. Wasabi
It contains isothiocyanates, which can inhibit the growth of *Streptococcus mutans*, the bacteria that causes cavities.