Instructions: Many people are interested in knowing what foods can help prevent tooth decay. One way is to keep the amount of acid created by the bacteria on your teeth to a minimum. Here are some tips:
Limit between-meal snacking to reduce the amount of time your teeth are exposed to acid.

If you snack, choose foods that are not fermentable carbohydrates.

Best choices: cheese, chicken or other meats, nuts or milk. These foods are believed to be "anti-cariogenic." That is, they may actually help protect tooth enamel by counteracting acidity or by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to re-mineralize teeth.

Moderate choices: firm fruits like apples and pears, and vegetables. Although firm fruits contain natural sugars that are fermentable, they have a high water content that dilutes the effects of the sugar and they stimulate the flow of saliva, which has antibacterial factors and helps protect against decay.

Vegetables do not contain many carbohydrates.

Worst choices: candy, cookies, cakes, crackers, bread, muffins, potato chips, french fries, pretzels, bananas, raisins and other dried fruits. These foods provide a source of sugar for certain bacteria on the teeth to produce acid. The problem can be worse if the foods stick to or get caught between teeth.

Limit the amount of soft drinks or any other sugar-containing drink, including coffee or tea with added sugar, cocoa and lemonade. Fruit juices contain natural sugars that also can cause decay. Limit the amount of time you take to drink any of these drinks instead of sipping them throughout the day. A can of soda finished with a meal in 20 minutes is better than a can of soda finished in two hours because it will decrease the amount of time your teeth are exposed to high acid levels.

Better choices: unsweetened tea, milk and water, especially fluorinated water. Water helps flush away food debris and can dilute the sugar acids. Avoid sucking on hard candies or mints, even the tiny ones. They have enough sugar to increase the acid produced by bacteria to decay levels. If you need a mint, use the sugarless varieties.

Very acidic foods (such as citrus fruits, tomatoes and lemons) can make the mouth more acidic and may contribute to tooth demineralization. The effects of acid exposure add up, so every little bit counts. Since these are healthy foods, try to eat them as part of a meal or follow them with cheese, meat or milk.

Brush your teeth after eating to remove the plaque bacteria that create the destructive acids. If you cannot brush after every meal, brush at least twice a day to thoroughly remove all plaque bacteria. Chewing sugarless gum that contains xylitol can help reduce the risk of cavities. It not only helps dislodge some of the food stuck to your teeth, but it also increases saliva flow to help buffer the acids.

Like the rest of your body, your mouth depends on overall good nutrition to stay healthy. In fact, our mouths are highly sensitive to poor nutrition, which can lead to premature tooth loss, serious periodontal (gum) disease and bad breath.

Many nutritional problems will affect the mouth before the rest of the body.

This is because the cells in the lining of the mouth - called the oral mucosa - are constantly being created and destroyed. In some areas of the mouth, cells completely turn over, with a whole new group of cells taking the place of old cells, in three to seven days.

If you want to prevent cavities, how often you eat can be just as important as what you eat. Thats because food affects your teeth and mouth long after you swallow. Eating those cookies with dinner will do less harm to your teeth than eating them in the middle of the afternoon as a separate snack.

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