It's a bird.  It's a plane.  No, it's your teeth.  Did you know your teeth have superhero qualities?  In fact, enamel is the hardest tissue in your body  Furthermore, human teeth have even been said to be as hard as shark teeth, but not as sharp.  Yet, even though teeth are tough, this doesn't mean your pearly whites are invincible to cracks, chips, and decay.  Luckily, there are steps you can take to make your smile stronger.  

Eat a Tough Teeth Diet

A superhero needs plenty of vitamins and minerals to stay powerful.  Likewise, the right diet is essential for strong teeth.  Calcium will help you have strong teeth and bones while vitamin D helps you absorb the calcium.  Along with dairy products, calcium can also be found in almonds, dark leafy vegetables, and canned salmon.  If you want to add a little more vitamin D to your life, try milk and fortified beverages.  You can even go outside and play in the sun.  Other food choices for strong teeth include:

• Crunchy fruits and vegetables: Apples and celery have a high water content.  The water helps dilute any sugar in the mouth and encourage saliva production.  This helps prevent tooth decay.
• Food containing magnesium: Magnesium helps promote the formation of tooth enamel.  Whole grains, raw spinach, avocados, and bananas are good sources of this mineral.

Fight the Bad Guys with Fluoride

Although enamel is tough, it can be worn down.  Fluoride gives your teeth the power to fight off villains like tooth decay and dental caries.  In addition, fluoride helps protect and strengthen your teeth by preventing demineralization, or loss of minerals.  Demineralization occurs when the acid in your mouth erodes your teeth's enamel, which is comprised of minerals.  If your teeth have already been damaged from demineralization, fluoride helps rebuild your enamel.  Using a fluoride toothpaste or having your dentist apply a fluoride treatment are two ways to help strengthen your teeth. 

On the other hand, too much fluoride can actually weaken your superpowers.  In fact, kids under eight who are exposed to too much fluoride may experience fluorosis.  This can cause discoloration, stains, and pits on their teeth.  To prevent this, you can make sure your kids don't swallow fluoridated toothpaste and check your drinking water's fluoride levels to make sure it doesn't exceed two parts of fluoride per million.

Call for Reinforcements

Every superhero needs a sidekick.  When your teeth are in trouble, dental implants, replacement tooth roots, can come to your mouth's rescue.  For instance, dental implants can provide your mouth with the support it needs after losing a tooth or two.  After all, without enough teeth, your jawbone isn't stimulated and this can lead to bone loss.  Eventually, your face will sag and your ability to chew and to talk may be impaired.  Dental implants involve placing a small titanium post into the missing tooth's bone socket.  After your jawbone heals, an abutment, a connector post, is placed on the titanium post.  Finally, the new artificial tooth is connected to the abutment.

After following these tips, your teeth may be mistaken for a superhero, even without a cape. Talk to experts like http://www.fortcollinsdentist.com for more information.