I know there are a lot of people out there who are under the impression that a raw food diet can be damaging to your teeth. Well, I just had to pipe up as living proof that this does not need to be the case! I just got home from the dentist and neither the hygienist or dentist could stop telling me how gorgeous and healthy my teeth are!
Now some of you may point out that perhaps that is because I’m not a 100% raw foodist. I laugh at this and wonder why anyone would think that processed foods would improve someone’s teeth? In my experience, the more raw, vegan food I eat, the healthier and whiter my teeth become.
The truth is, unless you’ve got some serious underlying health issues affecting your teeth, a raw food diet should do nothing but benefit them. Here’s how I care for my teeth. I’m not saying you need to do what I do to have a healthy smile, but maybe some of the things that work for me will help you too!
- I brush my teeth twice a day, without fail. I use an extra-soft, plain G.U.M toothbrush, because that’s what my dentist recommends. I also use regular, fluoridated toothpaste. I might try toothsoap in the future, and will definitely let you know how that goes when I do!
- I use soft picks
every night before I floss. My dentist recommended these in my first pregnancy when my gums were getting sensitive from hormone changes. They are amazing and completely restored my gum health in days! I’ve kept using them ever since.
- I floss my teeth every night (before I brush) with waxed floss, and I make sure to pull the floss down the length of each tooth to pull off any build up from each tooth.
- I limit my fruit intake. Yup… you heard right. While fruit is wonderful for so many reasons, it can be hard on the teeth. Now don’t get me wrong! I definitely eat fruit. I eat fruit every day, but I stick to a few very basic guidelines to help make sure I’m not damaging my teeth in the process. You may agree or disagree with my thoughts, but if you’re having tooth problems, I highly recommend experimenting and researching further to see what will work best for you:
- I avoid eating unripe fruit
- I try not to eat too much citrus/acidic fruit
- When possible, I eat tree-ripened fruits – they taste better too!
- I try to ensure that I eat more greens than fruit every day
- I try to eat a variety of vegetables and non-sweet fruits every day too
That’s it! No fancy equipment, no rigid cleaning schedule… Just happy, strong, healthy, and pretty gums and teeth!