A diet is very important for a healthy mouth. Choosing foods that are good for your teeth and enamel can limit the chances of tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss. Here are the best foods for dental health you should choose to improve your oral health.
How does nutrition affect oral health?
Nutrition and diet can affect your oral health. Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by improper diet and poor oral hygiene. Starchy, sugary, and carbohydrate-rich foods are factors that contribute to tooth decay and gum disease, especially when these foods are left over if you don’t brush your teeth regularly and thoroughly. Food left on your teeth can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria in your mouth. Their residue after eating food will form plaque acids that eat away at the enamel, breaking down the hard coating and forming a hole or cavity in your teeth. When the root of a tooth is exposed, this can lead to inflammation and toothache.
In addition, foods containing sugar are also a cause of tooth decay. Most foods, including vegetables and dairy, have some types of sugar. However, they still offer health benefits when you follow a complete and healthy diet. Instead, you should minimize junk food and fast food to control sugar levels in your body.
Even if you brush your teeth daily, if your body is not provided with enough nutrients, it can lead to the deterioration of your health, including your teeth. You need to balance your diet to maintain a complete set of teeth and healthy gums. You especially need the calcium or protein-rich foods to help strengthen tooth enamel.
What are healthy foods for dental health?
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), your daily diet greatly affects your oral health. If you eat too many sugary foods like candy, cookies and drink a lot of soda, or coffee, your teeth will be affected badly. Therefore, building a reasonable diet, listing foods that are good for health in general and teeth, in particular, are essential to always have a bright white smile.
The best foods for dental health 1: Fiber-rich and crunchy fruit and vegetables
– Apple: Apple is a sweet fruit, but its natural sugar helps neutralize harmful acids in the mouth, which comes with a high amount of water and fiber. The action of chewing and crushing stimulates the mouth to produce saliva that helps you wash away food particles stuck on your teeth, eliminate bacteria and reduce the rate of tooth decay.
Apples are fibrous, so they stimulate gums when you eat them, helping to naturally reduce plaque buildup in the mouth. If you’re looking for a healthy snack for your teeth, apples are a smart choice. Pack your lunch with apple slices to help you have a better body after eating.
– Carrots: Carrots are a high-fiber food. Chewing on crunchy carrots acts like a natural toothbrush. The act of chewing will massage your gums, stimulating saliva production, which is important in removing bacteria and plaque acids. In addition, carrots are also a good source of vitamin A, which is important for strengthening fragile tooth enamel.
– Celery: Like apples and carrots, celery acts like a toothbrush. When you chew celery, it cleans your teeth and massages your gums. At the same time, chewing thoroughly will also produce a lot of salivae to remove bacteria and food particles from your teeth. In addition, celery provides a good amount of vitamins A and C, which are known antioxidants that promote the health of your gums.
– Strawberries: Strawberries contain an acid (malic acid) that has unique whitening properties that can remove stains from your teeth. Strawberry seeds can get stuck between your teeth, remember to floss after eating.
– Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a very good food to kill oral bacteria. Cinnamon acts as an ingredient when making a mouthwash with a pleasant scent and gradually becomes a daily oral health habit to help prevent plaque and bacteria build-up.
The best foods for dental health 2: Dairy products
Milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products are great for strengthening tooth enamel and fighting tooth decay because they are high in calcium and protein. Most of the calcium in the body is stored in the bones and teeth with the function of increasing the hardness and strength of the bones.
– Cheese: Cheese not only contains high levels of phosphate, protein and calcium that naturally strengthen teeth and bones, but also helps neutralize acidic pH levels to promote a healthier oral environment, reducing the risk of tooth decay. Besides, the gooey or gummy texture of cheese helps to increase saliva production and remove food stuck on the teeth.
– Yogurt: Yogurt is a food rich in protein and calcium. If you can’t eat cheese because of its texture and smell, probiotic yogurt will serve as a good fermented substitute. Probiotics help you feel healthier by increasing the number of (good) bacteria in your body. The beneficial probiotic bacteria also help the gums stop the bad bacteria that cause acid plaque and tooth decay.
The best foods for dental health 3: Nuts
Nuts are also great for teeth because they’re low in carbohydrates, which trigger acid-producing bacteria that can lead to tooth decay. Another benefit is that chewing nuts stimulates the production of saliva, which cleans food from the teeth and reduces the risk of tooth decay.
Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and flaxseeds (including flaxseed oil) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber that help promote healthy gum tissue and fight periodontal disease. They’re also good for your heart and can help lower cholesterol.
Almonds are also great for snacking because they provide useful protein and calcium to the body. Besides, almonds contain low sugar content, so you can rest assured that they will not affect your oral health much.
The best foods for dental health 4: Leafy vegetables
Fresh leafy vegetables contain folic acid, vitamins and minerals while being low in calories that can help fight gum disease and are a great source of calcium. Leafy vegetables help you reduce the risk of tooth decay while naturally reducing the level of plaque in the mouth. Some green vegetables include a B Vitamin called folic acid, which has numerous health benefits, treating gum disease in pregnant women.
Shiitake mushrooms contain polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate called lentinan, which helps regulate the immune system, breaking down plaque and bacteria in the mouth for healthier gums and teeth.
The best foods for dental health 5: Lean proteins
Protein-rich foods such as fish, poultry, and eggs contain phosphorus and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help your mouth fight periodontal infections, slough off tissue, and can help your gums heal faster. during the treatment of gum disease.
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help your mouth fight off severe gum infections and heal wounds faster during gum disease treatment. In addition, salmon contains vitamin D and calcium, which are essential for oral health, as it allows your body to better absorb calcium.
The best foods for dental health 6: Water
Besides adding more vegetables with fiber, dairy products, and green vegetables to your food menu, you should also pay attention to what you are drinking to ensure comprehensive oral health. Water is the best drink you can choose as it has no sugar or calories. In contrast, black coffee with or without sugar, soft drinks, and alcohol,… are drinks that are harmful to your teeth.
The best foods for dental health 7: Green tea and black tea
Both green tea and black tea contain polyphenols that help you kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, reducing the risk of inflammation of the soft tissues in the mouth that causes tooth decay. In addition, green tea has natural fluoride, which remineralizes weak tooth enamel to reduce the process of tooth decay. One caveat is that green tea also contains tannins that can stain teeth.
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Is chewing gum okay for your teeth?
Chewing sugar-free gum is actually beneficial for your teeth because it helps you get rid of food stuck between the gaps in your teeth. It also increases saliva flow which helps neutralize acids in the mouth and repel bacteria. There are gum types that contain ingredients that can reduce tooth decay and heal areas where cavities are forming.
However, chewing gum a lot can affect your jaw muscles, causing jaw pain. You should also avoid chewing gum if you have a lot of fillings or wear a dental cap over your molars or the back of your teeth.
Teeth and gum care tips
The menu for your daily diet can affect the health of your gums and teeth as well as your health in general. Here are some teeth and gum care tips that you can apply:
– Brush your teeth 3 times or at least 2 times a day. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride.
– Use mouthwash daily and floss at least once daily.
– Visit the dentist to clean and check your oral health (twice per year).
– Eat foods for dental health. Limit the intake of sugary and starchy foods.
– Limit snacking between main meals. If you have a craving for snacks, choose nutrient-dense foods like applesauce, plain yogurt, raw veggies, and cheese.
– Chew sugar-free gum to increase saliva flow and wash away food and acids.
– Drink more water.
To have good oral health and prevent tooth decay, a daily diet with foods for dental health is vital to achieving those goals. Foods such as candy, desserts, fast food, or junk food are not only bad for your health in general, but they are also harmful to your teeth. Bacteria in your mouth tend to convert carbs and sugars from the foods you eat into acids that attack tooth enamel. So, make yourself a habit of eating and drinking the foods that we just mentioned above to keep your smile bright.
If you have any strange dental symptoms, contact Ava Dental Clinic for timely treatment.
Fill out your personal information in the appointment online form or call the hotline to schedule an appointment with our dentist.
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