When it comes to preserving the health of your teeth, your first line of defense begins with the foods you eat. By consuming starchy and sugary foods, you stand the chance of developing gum disease and suffering from tooth decay. Healthy foods equal healthy teeth and gums.
Bacteria feed on sugary or starchy foods to produce acids. These acids are responsible for not only breaking down the tooth enamel layer but can penetrate the dentin layer and pulp chamber of the teeth. If you want to protect and improve your dental health, the above-mentioned foods are the ones to stay away from. Instead, our diet should be made up of 100% healthy foods. So what should we eat for good dental health?
Fruits and Vegetables
The number one key to learning how to lose weight effectively starts by watching what you eat. The same logic applies when trying to improve your dental health.
We often forget that our teeth come into contact with the foods we consume first. By watching what we consume, we protect our teeth, as well as our overall weight.
That said, you want to go for fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber. As stated by the American Dental Association (ADA), fiber-rich foods help improve dental hygiene since they help keep the gum and teeth clean. Additionally, fruits and vegetables make for a nutritious and healthy snack.
Fruits and vegetables, such as celery, carrots, kale and spinach, also help increase the production of saliva. Saliva has been found to prevent acids from attacking our teeth after food consumption. Saliva helps flush out the bacteria before it can produce harmful acids as well as neutralize the acids.
Since saliva contains phosphate and calcium, it strengthens and restores those minerals to the teeth that need them.
Green leafy vegetables are high in vitamin C, which aids in the prevention of gum disease by reducing inflammation. Vitamin C also helps boost the production of red blood cells within the gums, further preventing gum disease.
Green and Black Tea
Both Green and black tea provide plentiful antioxidants that supports dental health. Considered a super food, green tea contains high amounts of Catechins. Catechins help prevent inflammation of the gums and hence, prevent and reduce the development and side effects of gum disease.
Black tea contains a rich source of polyphenols that dentists love. Polyphenols kill harmful bacteria and protect the teeth and gums from the bacterial acid byproducts.
Dairy Products
Everything from cheese and milk to plain yogurt should be included in our diet to promote good dental health. Cheese for instance, according to a study published in the issue of General Dentistry, raises the PH in people’s mouth after consumption. This helps lower the risk of developing tooth decay.
Cheese, together with yogurt and milk, is high in protein and calcium. These two properties help strengthen tooth enamel and protect the overall health of your teeth. So if you love cheese like most people do, why not have it as your go to healthy snack?
In conclusion, the best way to protect and improve your dental health is by watching what you eat. Stay away from sweets, carbonated drinks and chips just to mention a few. For those looking for effective ways on how to lose weight, taking care of your dental health works both ways.