Have you ever heard, “An Apple a Day keeps Doctor Away”? Many people claim apples are good for teeth and overall health. What do you think? Are Apples Good for your Teeth or bad for your teeth? Do apples clean your teeth? Let’s see what research says to find out the answers to all of these questions and solve the mystery.
Do Apples Clean Your Teeth and Reduce Plaque
There was a study conducted on healthy 20 individuals to know the effect of chewing an apple on teeth and dental plaque [A study conducted by Rubido, S., García‐Caballero, L., Abeleira, M. T., Limeres, J., García, M. a. E., & Dios, P. D. (2018)]. In this study, 20 healthy adults were selected with stable oral health status. Randomly, the individuals were assigned to brush their teeth or chew and eat an apple. The test was repeated in reverse order after 2 weeks after the study started. The Plaque index (PI) and Bacterial viability (BV) were taken at baseline (B), immediately (A), and after 24 hours (24).
The results were surprising. The plaque index (PI-A) was higher immediately after eating an apple (A) than the plaque index at baseline (PA-B), and after 24 hours (PA-24). Let’s talk about bacterial viability immediately after eating an apple. Bacterial viability immediately after eating an apple (BV-A) was lower than the baseline (BV-B). It matches the baseline (BV-B) after 24 hours (BV-24), which means (BV-B) = (BV-24).
The result shows that eating an apple does not reduce plaque. It increases plaque regrowth in the first 24 hours. However, it reduces bacterial viability immediately after eating an apple, just like toothbrushing does. In simple words, chewing an apple cannot replace regular toothbrushing for cleaning your teeth.
Are Apples Good for Your Teeth or Bad for Your Teeth?
Eating an apple stimulates salivary flow in your mouth which reduces the bacteria and flush out other debris which is good for your teeth. Saliva helps with the mineralization of teeth enamel as well as and its buffering action neutralizes the pH in the mouth. Thus, it reduces tooth decay.
Apart from the teeth, apples are also a good source of fiber and vitamins, so it can be considered a good diet as well.
However, if you think having apples daily eliminates the regular toothbrushing then the apples are bad for your teeth as they cannot replace the toothbrushing to get rid of plaque and clean your teeth. So, avoid stopping regular toothbrushing and flossing habits to keep your teeth healthy. You should floss first before toothbrushing. Don’t forget this. But why? Read this article, Should you Floss or Brush First?
Related: Is Lemon Water Bad for Your Teeth
Conclusion
In conclusion, to answer your questions based on a research study we can say that apples cannot replace toothbrushing for cleaning your teeth but they do reduce bacteria immediately after eating it same as toothbrushing does. Apples are Good for your Teeth as they reduce bacteria, neutralize pH, and help in the mineralization of enamel by inducing saliva. Don’t stop brushing and flossing your teeth to keep your teeth healthy.
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