Healthy Eating for Healthy Teeth
You know that your teeth have an essential role to play in daily life. It would be lovely to have your full set of teeth for smiling and speaking, among other things. Most important of all, is that you use them for eating your food – biting, grinding, munching – without which it would be extremely difficult to eat, let alone survive. Over time you might have developed habits that may be detrimental to your teeth and overall oral health.
Some of these are everyday habits that have to be changed to maintain healthier teeth.
Firstly, limit your intake of sweet treats. It’s been established that sweets and cavities are linked. Biscuits, cakes, chocolates and candies are so sugar-loaded that the smart way of enjoying them is eating them only sparingly. That’s the same with fizzy drinks and energy drinks. When shopping or going to the grocers, remember to check the labels of processed and packaged foods. Store-bought salad dressings, cereals or tomato sauce have a high sugar content and adding onto to them your smoothies, sodas and dessert are not helping you cut down on sugar. Though you brush and floss after eating, still is wise to cut down sugar.
Limit your sticky or acidic food intake. Foods with sticky consistency take longer to break down by saliva. The stickier consistency will more likely stick to your teeth, leading to plaque. Honey, molasses, dried fruit or raisins can remain on the surface of teeth and increase your risk for cavities. Acid in food also rapidly escalates the process of tooth decay. Foods and beverages like alcoholic drinks, coffee, potato chips, including foods beneficial in a diet, as tomatoes or citrus fruits are acidic. Remember to eat these with other foods like fruits and veggies to render them less harmful to the teeth.
Limit foods and drinks that can stain teeth. Rich-colored foods and drinks as coffee, tea, red wine, berries, balsamic vinegar and rich sauces can stain your teeth when consumed in large quantities. Brush, drink water or rinse the mouth soon after to avoid the pigments from remaining on the teeth.
Remember that calcium is important for strong teeth. A healthy level of it in your diet – through dairy, eggs or leafy green vegetables – is crucial for healthy teeth, as calcium helps strengthen your bones and teeth. Lack of calcium can cause osteoporosis and can also cause problems with your teeth and jawbone. Those who have osteoporosis are three times more likely to lose teeth than those who don’t.
Giving Healthy Food Advice in Bellingham
Your Bellingham dentist would also like to add, that, for overall well being, including oral health, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, legumes, and lean protein. Such a diet provides a wide spectrum of nutrients for optimum oral health. See us for a consult in Bellingham.