Cheese, raw vegetables and fruits, leafy greens, nuts, and fish are some nutritional standouts for your oral health. (This article is an update of our 2020 post Surprising Foods That Are Good For Your Teeth and Gums).
You probably already know a great deal about foods that are bad for your teeth and gums.
Most people understand, for instance, that sugary foods—such as cookies, candy bars, pastries, ice cream, and sweetened drinks—feed the millions of bacteria living in your mouth.
When these bacteria aren’t properly controlled, they produce acids that break down enamel and irritate the gums, eventually leading to tooth decay and gum disease.
What’s less commonly discussed, though, is which foods actively support good oral health. Like many people, you may not be well informed about what to eat to protect your teeth, strengthen your gums, and maintain a healthier mouth overall.
Below, Dr. Nesrine Bestandji—your experienced family, pediatric, and emergency dentist in Princeton, NJ—shares 8 dentist-approved foods you can add to your diet.
These foods supply calcium, vitamins A, C, and D, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients your teeth and gums rely on to fight plaque buildup, repair damage, resist decay, stay strong, and even help keep your breath fresher naturally.
8 Foods That Promote Healthy Teeth and Gums (Advice from Dr. Nesrine Bestandji, DMD)
Cheese
Several studies show that cheese—particularly hard varieties like cheddar—can be surprisingly beneficial for your teeth, largely because chewing cheese boosts saliva production.
That surge in saliva plays an important protective role. It helps rinse away lingering food debris, buffers harmful acids, slows the loss of minerals from enamel, and limits plaque buildup inside the mouth.
If you’re unaware, plaque is a nearly invisible, sticky layer made up of bacteria and other substances that constantly forms on the surface of your teeth.
When you eat foods containing sugar or starch, those bacteria feed on the leftovers and produce acids as a byproduct.
These acids don’t stop working once you’re done eating—they continue attacking tooth enamel for some time afterward.
Over repeated exposures, the enamel weakens and breaks down, allowing cavities to form. At the same time, bacteria within plaque can trigger inflammation that damages the gums, jawbone, and other structures that support your teeth.
Cheese also has a reputation as a true mouth-friendly food because it’s rich in several nutrients essential for strong teeth, including calcium and phosphate. These nutrients help replace minerals lost from enamel due to acidic foods and drinks, strengthening the tooth surface and lowering the risk of decay.
Tip: Keep individually wrapped cheddar slices or string cheese in your fridge—they’re an easy, tooth-smart option when snack cravings hit.
Crispy Fruits and Veggies
Apples, carrots, celery, pears, cucumbers, and other raw, crunchy fruits and vegetables work like a natural toothbrush, helping clean your teeth as you bite and chew.
Their firm, fibrous texture gently scrapes the tooth surface and massages the gums, loosening plaque and dislodging food debris. The high water content found in many crispy fruits and vegetables also helps rinse the mouth, supporting a cleaner oral environment.
Beyond their cleansing action, these foods provide important vitamins that contribute to good oral health. Carrots, for example, are a source of vitamin A, which plays a major role in keratin formation—a protein necessary for building and maintaining strong tooth enamel that shields teeth from decay and cavities.
When vitamin A intake is inadequate, a range of oral health problems may develop, including inflamed or bleeding gums, dry mouth (xerostomia), mouth sores, diminished taste sensation, impaired tooth development, and a persistent burning or irritation in the mouth.
For long-term dental wellness, pair a nutrient-dense diet with routine dental care at Canal Vista Family Dental in Princeton, NJ.
Leafy Greens
We’ve all heard some version of it—and chances are you’ll say it to your own kids if you haven’t already: eat your greens if you want to grow up healthy and strong. It’s a familiar line, but it didn’t become a cliché by accident.
There’s real science behind that advice. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, lettuce, and arugula support overall health, and that includes your teeth and gums.
Often labeled as “superfoods,” leafy greens offer an impressive concentration of nutrients while remaining low in calories. They’re rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with folate and calcium—nutrients that play a direct role in strengthening enamel and fighting bacterial plaque.
When plaque is allowed to linger along the gumline, it can progress into advanced forms of gum disease, including periodontitis.
If greens aren’t your go-to food, you don’t have to eat them plain. Blending them into smoothies or mixing them into pasta, soups, or sauces is an easy way to get the benefits without forcing yourself to chew through a salad.
Fish
If you’ve previously struggled with gum disease, regularly eating fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel can be a smart move.
Evidence shows that omega-3 fatty acids in fish—best known for supporting heart and brain health—can lower gum disease risk and promote faster gum healing during periodontal treatment by calming inflammation and infection inside the mouth.
Fatty fish are also a valuable source of vitamin D, a nutrient your body relies on to effectively absorb calcium and phosphate. Both minerals are essential for strengthening tooth enamel and maintaining the structural integrity of your teeth and gums.
Nuts
The bacteria in your mouth thrive on carbohydrates, breaking them down into acids that slowly weaken enamel and eventually cause cavities.
Because nuts are naturally low in carbs, choosing them as a snack can help lower the chances of acid-related enamel erosion compared to sugary or starchy options.
The crunchy texture of nuts also works in your favor by encouraging more chewing before you swallow, increasing saliva production, which helps keep gums moist, reduce mouth dryness and irritation, and wash away odor-causing bacteria.
Popular options such as almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts provide more than just texture.
These nuts support good oral health thanks to their calcium, fiber, zinc, iron, magnesium, and vitamins D and E, and curb hunger between meals, reducing the urge for sweets and other sugary foods.
That said, caution is important. If you have cracked teeth or aging dental work, harder nuts—especially almonds—can place extra stress on already weakened areas and worsen existing damage.
Issues like these tend to progress over time, so it’s best not to ignore them. Seeing a dentist like Dr. Bestandji in Princeton sooner rather than later can help address vulnerable teeth before they fail completely.
Eggs
Egg yolks are nutritional standouts, offering almost every vitamin except vitamin C. They’re particularly rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as key minerals like calcium, zinc, and magnesium.
Together, these nutrients curb the growth of plaque-causing bacteria, support enamel remineralization to keep teeth strong, and reduce bad breath by neutralizing volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth.
Additionally, the high protein content in eggs assists in maintaining healthy gum tissue, and their soft texture and lack of added sugars make them a safe, nourishing option for lowering cavity risk and supporting overall oral health.
Whole Grains
Whole grains, including whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oats, do more than keep you full—they deliver a steady supply of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that play a meaningful role in maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
Oats, in particular, have B vitamins, a group of nutrients that support proper blood flow to the gums and surrounding oral tissues. This controls inflammation, which in turn can ease gum tenderness, swelling, and irritation.
When the body doesn’t get enough B vitamins, oral health can suffer. Deficiencies have been linked to gum recession, a burning sensation in the mouth, glossitis (characterized by a swollen, red tongue), and other preventable dental concerns.
Chocolate
Yes, you read that correctly—chocolate.
Dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao, eaten in moderation, is easy on your teeth than its milkier counterpart.
It contains antibacterial compounds and cocoa bean husk (CBH), which research suggests hardens enamel, making your teeth less vulnerable to tooth decay.
If you wear braces, it’s best to steer clear of dark chocolate that contains nuts, as they can easily damage wires or brackets.
It also helps to store chocolate at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator, since cold chocolate hardens and can be surprisingly tough on your teeth when you bite into it.
Protip: When eating any dentist-approved foods, it helps to drink water alongside them.
Plain water is still the gold standard for oral health. It washes away food particles, dilutes acids produced by bacteria, and helps prevent dry mouth. When saliva becomes too thick, due to dry mouth, its protective function is significantly reduced.
If you’re in Princeton, NJ, there’s an added benefit: local tap water is fluoridated, which provides an extra layer of defense against cavities.
And if you’re craving something with more flavor than water, unsweetened green tea is a solid alternative.
A Japanese study discovered that men who regularly took green tea had lower rates of periodontal disease than those who consumed it less often.
This benefit is thought to come from polyphenols in green tea, which can interfere with plaque-causing bacteria by slowing their growth or killing them outright.
Do Certain Foods Trigger Your Tooth Discomfort?
If you notice tooth sensitivity after consuming cold, hot, acidic, or sweet foods or beverages—such as a sharp pain when sipping hot coffee—it’s a sign you should schedule a dental evaluation with Dr. Bestandji promptly. Sensitivity like this is often your body’s way of alerting you that something isn’t quite right.
At Canal Vista Family Dental, we believe lasting oral health goes beyond consistent brushing and flossing—it’s also shaped by the foods and drinks you choose every day.
The tooth sensitivity you’re experiencing may indicate early enamel breakdown, developing cavities, an underlying abscess, or other diet-related dental issues. When caught early, these concerns are typically easier and more affordable to treat before they escalate into more serious oral health problems.
To book your first appointment, call 609-452-8630 or schedule online today. Our skilled dental team delivers comprehensive, preventive, and personalized care for patients of all ages—helping you protect your teeth, support gum health, and maintain a confident smile for years to come.Canal Vista Family Dental accepts most insurance plans and offers flexible payment options, making high-quality dental care accessible without added financial stress.