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Food products like garlic and onion are known to cause bad breath. But did you know that some foods can actually help your breath smell good? It’s true. Mints aren’t the only solution to a stinky mouth. Here are five foods that can actually make your breath smell great!

Dairy

Dairy isn’t just great for your pearly whites. Dairy products like yogurt and cheese are also pretty good at fighting off bad breath. Cheese neutralizes acids after you’ve eaten, making sure that they don’t give off any sour smells. Probiotic yogurts with live active cultures can reduce sulfite compounds in your mouth that cause bad breath. The vitamin D in these yogurts also reduces smelly mouth bacteria.

Crunchy Apples and Celery

An apple a day keeps the smell away. Crisp and crunchy foods like apples and celery actually clean your teeth, removing soft and sticky food that’s stuck there. These foods can also push plaque away from your teeth when you bite into them. Just because they do some scrubbing doesn’t mean you should skip brushing or flossing. But apples and celery are a great snack between meals to keep your mouth smelling fresh.

Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds are extremely flavorful and aromatic, so it’s no surprise they can keep bad breath at bay. These seeds work to neutralize bad smells in your mouth. But along with that, they actually have antibacterial properties, giving them the power to fight off bacteria that causes bad breath.

Ginger

If you’ve ever taken a bite out of ginger, you know it packs a punch. Ginger is regularly used to clean your palate. And it also gets rid of bad breath with its powerful flavor. Just make sure you like the flavor of ginger before you bite into it or make a drink with it, because you can’t plug your nose to escape its flavor.

Fruits That Pack a Lot of Vitamin C

Along with keeping your body healthy, vitamin C keeps bad breath away. The bacteria that causes bad breath can’t actually grow very well in environments filled with vitamin C. Fruits that also contain a lot of water, like melons and citrus fruit, can wash rotting food and bacteria away. Try eating strawberries, cantaloupe or oranges next time you notice your breath smelling funky.
We hope you give these foods a try next time you have bad breath. If you can’t seem to get rid of the smell, feel free to contact Water Tower Dental Care. If you have a dental issue causing your bad breath, we’ll get to the bottom of it!

Just because something is good for you doesn’t mean it’s good for your teeth. There’s a wide variety of food that nutritionists would consider healthy for you, but that can damage your teeth if you’re not careful. Here are the top 6 healthy foods that are surprisingly bad for your teeth.

Citrus Fruits (Grapefruits, Oranges and Lemons)

While fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits are jam-packed with vitamin C and other important nutrients, they’re not so good for you teeth. Citrus fruits are very acidic and can erode your teeth’s enamel if not completely washed away.
Solution: You don’t have to stop eating citrus fruit to keep your mouth healthy! Immediately after eating a citrus fruit, wash your mouth out with water. Then, 30 minutes later, gently brush your teeth and use mouthwash to completely get rid of the acids.

Tomatoes

Like citrus fruits, tomatoes are highly acidic, causing enamel and tooth erosion. And it isn’t just raw tomatoes that can do your teeth harm. Unfortunately, tomato sauces, soups and pizza can cause tooth erosion due to tomato’s acidity.
Solution: Mix tomatoes with other foods so that your teeth aren’t solely exposed to tomato acids. You can also immediately wash out your mouth with water, and then gently brush your teeth and use mouthwash 30 minutes after eating tomato-based foods just like you can do with citrus fruits. This way, you’ll get rid of the acids before they cause serious harm.

Pickles

Acid is actually used in the pickling process to give pickles their trademark sour taste. This high acid content causes pickles to be closely linked to tooth erosion, according to this 2004 study.
Solution: As long as you don’t eat pickles daily, it’s unlikely that they will cause any serious problems for your teeth. If you do eat pickles regularly, wash your mouth out with water after you’ve finished eating and try to brush your teeth 30 minutes later to avoid serious harm to your teeth.

Apples

While apples have been found to be good for your teeth in some ways, they can also cause teeth erosion. Dental experts have found that apple’s acidic structure and increasingly high levels of sugar can cause erosion, according to The British Dental Association in a Daily Mail article.
Solution: Like with the other acidic foods, wash your mouth out with water after eating apples and brush 30 minutes later. You can also eat them with other food to minimize damage, and try eat your apple in one sitting instead of snacking on one for a while.

Dried Fruit

Though an easy snack, dried fruit is sticky and full of sugar. When it gets stuck to your teeth, which is inevitable, it creates a breeding ground for bacteria to eat away at the fruit’s sugar and your teeth.
Solution: Stick to fresh fruits if you can. If you do eat dried fruit, make sure to floss and brush away the dried fruit as completely as possible 30 minutes after you eat it.

Dark Teas

Black tea has a long list of health benefits, including fighting off free radicals and providing your body with antioxidants, according to TIME.com. It has even been found to fight off cavities. Still, tea has been found to potentially stain teeth even worse than coffee thanks to its higher tannin content, according to Colgate.
Solution: Drink water during and after you’re done drinking tea to reduce the likelihood that it will stain your teeth, and brush immediately afterwards. You can also switch to herbal tea, white tea or green tea, which are much less likely to cause stains and still provide health benefits.
Though these healthy foods may be bad for your teeth, it doesn’t mean you should stop eating them. Just make sure to follow our solutions and you’ll be on track to having healthy and beautiful looking teeth for years to come. Feel free to contact us with any questions! We would love to help.

We've been raised to believe that the only foods bad for your teeth are the ones that contain sugar: candy, chocolate, ice cream, etc. However, there are plenty of foods that you wouldn't expect to be bad for your teeth, many that we might snack on everyday. Take a look at our list of worst foods for your teeth too what you might be eating a little too much of.

1. Soda

It's no surprise that soda is incredibly bad for your teeth. The high amounts of sugars in carbonated sodas are outstandingly high. Sugars are great food for bacteria. Unfortunately, sodas also contain a high amount of acids that can also wear away at tooth enamel. So, while you may think diet sodas are less harmful to your teeth, in reality they're just as bad. If you must drink soda, it's recommended to drink while eating a meal rather than sipping throughout the day. Food helps clear the sugars and acids out of the mouth.

2. Pickles

Here's one of those unexpected foods: Pickles are soaked in acidic vinegar; it's what gives a pickle its flavor. Unfortunately, vinegar is just as harmful to your tooth enamel as any other kind of acid. Eating pickles on a regular basis can greatly increase the risk of worn tooth enamel. It's best to keep pickles as an occasional snack rather than a daily treat.

3. Chewy Candy

Another obvious food to avoid is chewy candies. These sticky gobs of sugar are a great meal for the bacteria in your mouth. That's because the sugars can easily stick between the teeth and gums. If you need something sweet, we suggest a piece of fruit.

4. Dried Fruit

And by fruit, we mean FRESH fruit. Dried fruits are just as bad for your teeth as candy. Why? Because they're very sticky, just like chewy candy, and are high in sugar. So when those pieces of dried fruit get stuck between the teeth, it helps bacteria grow. Again, keep to fruit fresh.

5. Red Wine

While you may think red wine is bad for your teeth because it can stain them (they can, it's from a compound called tannins). Red wine also contains an erosive acid, which wears away at tooth enamel. If you need a drink, you may want to consider a glass of pinot grigio of noir.

6. Saltine Crackers

One of the worst foods you can eat might surprise you. Saltine crackers are filled with processed simple starches (a different kind of sugar), which provide a field day of food for the bacteria in your mouth. Ever notice how crackers will start to stick to your teeth if you eat too many? That's just another bad sign that these sugars won't be leaving your mouth any time soon. Replace those saltines with grain-based crackers. They will keep your teeth healthy and curb bacteria from growing.

7. Sports and Energy Drinks

Believe it or not, sports drinks can actually be worse for you then sodas. Though they may not have the carbonation that sodas have, sports drinks and energy drinks contain a high amount of acid, which will wear away at the enamel on your teeth. Be cautious of replacing soda for a sports drink. Instead opt for water or milk, both great for your teeth.
If you'd like to replace a few of these items on our list for some healthier options, check our blog post of some of the best foods for your teeth and make the old switcheroo.
If you have any more questions, don't be afraid to contact Water Tower Dental Care, we'd be happy to talk.