General Dentistry: What Drinks Are Good for Your Teeth?

In general dentistry, it is important to maintain good oral health at home. Part of this practice is to make sure you choose teeth-friendly drinks. These drinks can quench your thirst and keep your teeth cavity-free as well. If you want to know what teeth-friendly drinks you should get, here are the details.

White and green tea

Several varieties of tea are available in many cultures and countries. But not all of them are healthy for teeth. The most optimal types of tea for dental health are white and green tea. These two types of tea, along with black tea, are rich in antioxidants. Black tea is not ideal for teeth because its dark color can stain teeth. White and green teas do not stain teeth at all.

White tea provides fluoride as well. It helps strengthen the enamel. Tea drinkers must be mindful of how much sugar or honey is in their tea. The sweet element of the drink can deteriorate the teeth.

General dentistry stresses the importance of polyphenols in dental health. This compound can fight bacteria. Tea contains polyphenols. It is ideal to take tea plain or with sugar-free sweeteners.

Milk

This delicious and creamy drink contains phosphorous and calcium. These nutrients help repair and strengthen the enamel. It contains vitamin D, which can help the body absorb phosphorous and calcium much better. General dentistry clinics encourage patients to drink milk. The casein in milk can fight tooth decay. It forms a protective film around the enamel.

The natural sugars in milk will not harm the teeth as long as the person drinks water or brushes right away. That is why babies should not have milk bottles while they sleep. The teeth soak in milk. This will lead to tooth decay or bottle rot.

Plain water

Water helps fight cavities. It helps clean the mouth whenever people drink it. Every drink of water flushes out food particles, acids, and sugars. It also stimulates the production of saliva. This clear fluid buffers the acids from bacteria in the mouth. The saliva production also prevents dry mouth.

General dentistry is aware of areas with fluoridated water. Fluoride is a natural element capable of strengthening the enamel. Drinking fluoridated water can help coat the teeth with fluoride. It can also help fight bacteria and cavity formation.

Sugar-free products and sugar substitutes

These products taste and look like regular refined sugar. Artificially sweetened drinks are appealing to the taste yet do not feed the acid-producing bacteria in the mouth. Mannitol, isomalt, erythritol, and sorbitol are some examples of sugar substitutes. Commercial ones are sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, and neotame. Drinks with xylitol help prevent the formation of cavities.

Some drinks with the label “sugar-free” do not contain refined sugar. Yet, these products may have molasses, rice syrup, or honey. These sweeteners have the same calorie content as sugar. They may harm teeth as well. Look for drinks with “-ose” at the end of the ingredient like fructose or sucrose. General dentistry established these as natural sweeteners incapable of harming teeth.