Raw Veggies

Crispy, raw vegetables are great for your teeth. They’re full of fiber, so you have to chew them vigorously, which increases saliva. Saliva neutralizes the acid that builds up in your mouth and also provides calcium and phosphate which helps add more minerals to your enamel. Vegetables in a rainbow of colors—from dark purple eggplants to bright orange peppers, are just all-around healthy foods for your body. The nutrients they provide help build healthy cells—which includes the cells in your gums and teeth. The best raw veggie for your teeth? Celery. It’s stringy fibers help clean your teeth while you chew.

Fruit

Some raw fruits, such as apples, are good for your teeth for the same reasons as veggies—their fibrous flesh makes you chew more, increasing saliva in your mouth. Fruits also provide nutrients and vitamins that keep you healthy overall. In particular, pears have been found to be great for your teeth. One study showed that pears have the most neutralizing affect on plaque of all fruits.

One caveat: stay away from dried fruit. It has a high sugar content and is sticky, which can actually cause tooth decay.

Cheese

Cheese is low in sugar and high in calcium, making it a great food for your teeth. It also has low acid content. The casein protein in cheese is particularly good for rebuilding tooth enamel.

Most cheeses are fairly high in fat, so don’t go overboard or you’ll have other adverse health effects. Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses are both good choices.

Yogurt

Like cheese, yogurt is full of great proteins and low in sugar and acids, as long as you avoid yogurts with added sugar. Yogurt also has the benefit of acting as a probiotic.

Your toothbrush is too hard.

Most dentists recommend that their patients use a soft-bristle brush. Replace your brush often; once the bristles start to fray, they can cause tiny injuries to gums and the soft tissue in your mouth, which leads to bleeding.

You are brushing too hard.

The reason for brushing is to remove plaque and food from teeth and gums. This shouldn’t require a tremendous amount of pressure; let your toothbrush do the work. If you’re pushing too hard on the brush, you might be causing trauma to your gums, which will make them bleed. Lighten up a bit and see if that makes a difference.

You aren’t flossing properly.

The purpose of flossing it to remove bits of plaque and food from in between teeth, but if you’re flossing too aggressively, you may be damaging your gums. Talk to your dentist about proper flossing technique.

You aren’t brushing thoroughly enough.

When you don’t adequately remove plaque at the gum line, your gums may become inflamed, leading to a condition known as gingivitis. One sign of gingivitis is bleeding gums. Take care to brush teeth at the gum line and don’t skip your semi-annual checkup and cleaning.

You have more advanced gum disease.

Skip enough cleanings and you may find that your plaque has hardened into tartar. One sign that plaque has turned into tartar is increased gum bleeding. It’s very important to see your dentist for plaque removal in order to prevent even more advanced gum disease called periodontitis.

You are pregnant.

Some women experience gum bleeding while pregnant. This is due to a change in hormones and isn’t cause for concern. Make sure you’re using a light touch with the toothbrush and don’t let a little bleeding stop you from brushing at least twice a day. Mention your bleeding gums to your dentist or doctor just to make certain that the bleeding is caused by pregnancy hormones.

Your dentures don’t fit properly.

If your dentures are too tight, they could be pinching the gums, which can cause bleeding. Conversely, dentures that are too loose may slide around, rubbing sores on your gums that can bleed during brushing. See you dentist to make sure that your dentures fit properly.

You use tobacco.

Smoking or chewing tobacco can irritate gums and the soft tissue in your mouth, which can lead to bleeding.

You are taking medication that can affect bleeding.

If you’re taking blood thinners, you may find that your gums bleed while brushing. Mention this to your doctor.