Are apples good or bad for your teeth? Dr Helen Rosenfeld explains
Dr Helen Rosenfeld, dentist at Meliva's Kaarli and Saku clinics, offers an overview of how eating apples affects your teeth.
Apples are a healthy, tasty fruit that many people eat every day — but their effects reach all the way to dental health too. Dr Helen Rosenfeld, dentist at Meliva’s Kaarli and Saku clinics, shares a thorough overview of the benefits and potential downsides apples can have for teeth, explaining how this popular fruit affects the overall condition of the mouth.
Fibre-rich foods help keep teeth and gums clean
Eating apples isn’t just a pleasant habit — it’s also good for dental health. One of the most significant benefits is increased saliva production. “Saliva rinses food particles and bits of plaque out from between the teeth, and helps reduce the development of cavities, gum disease, and bad breath,” explains Dr Rosenfeld. Saliva also helps remineralise teeth, which in turn strengthens enamel, protecting it against decay.
Apples are a rich source of vitamin C, which plays an important role in maintaining gum health. Getting enough vitamin C helps prevent gum inflammation and bleeding gums. Apples are also high in fibre, which can act as a kind of natural cleaning tool. “Fibre-rich foods help keep teeth and gums clean. The fibrous skin of an apple can help clean teeth and has a stimulating effect on the gums.”
Every meal is followed by an acid attack in the mouth
While apples offer plenty of benefits, they also carry certain risks for teeth. Apples contain a natural carbohydrate called fructose (fruit sugar). Harmful bacteria on the surface of teeth use fruit sugar as food and convert it into a harmful acid. “The acid released as a by-product of bacterial activity erodes tooth tissue, resulting in a cavity,” says Dr Rosenfeld.
Newer apple varieties, bred with higher sugar content for a more pleasant taste, are actually more harmful to teeth. The acidity in apples weakens tooth enamel, which can expose the dentine underneath. As a result, frequently eating apples or drinking apple juice can damage tooth enamel, cause sensitivity and wear, and increase the risk of cavities. “It’s also worth remembering that every small bite or bit of food is a meal for microbes, and it’s followed by an acid attack in the mouth,” the dentist stresses.
Dr Helen Rosenfeld shares some tips for reducing the negative effects of eating apples on your teeth:
- Eat apples only as part of a meal, not as a snack. Remember to leave at least a three-hour gap between meals.
- Choose water as your thirst-quenching drink. If you want to drink apple juice, use a straw.
- Eat the apple with its skin on, since it’s richer in important nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, and potassium.
- Rinse your mouth with water after eating an apple. Rinsing can wash away much of the acid, sugar, and food residue left behind in the mouth.
