Your teeth, gums and mouth are far more than simply eating and drinking tools. They’re essential for successful cutting, chewing and swallowing of food. They make up the first stages in the digestive process. What you eat can affect your teeth drastically. Your mouth is the first point of contact so what goes in it has an impact on not only your health in general but also your gums and teeth.
To avoid negatively impacting both your teeth and your overall health you need to base your diet on your calorie requirements and makehealthy dietary choices. You should select food such as:
- portions of vegetables and fruits that cover at least half a plate at a meal.
- whole grains are a healthy food choice and at least 50 percent of your grain intake should be whole grains like whole grain bread, brown rice and oatmeal.
- select dairy products that are either low in fat or free of fat as often as possible.
- If you are a meat eater choose lean meat or fish and consume other forms of protein like beans, legumes, peas, eggs and some seafood.
Diet and its relation to tooth decay
If you stick to a healthy wholesome diet you minimise damage to both your teeth and your overall health. How frequently you eat food and consume drinks that are sweetened with sugar or are acidic can have a more serious impact on your teeth. Consuming snacks often between meals can be detrimental to your teeth’ overall health.
Particularly, as snacks are more commonly loaded with sugar that can do harm to teeth. This includes biscuits, cakes, crisps, sweets and chocolate. These are good for the bacteria that live in your mouth, but not for your teeth. The by-product released by the bacteria is acid, which causes cavities to form and tooth decay.
Soft drinks can be harmful to teeth
A lot of people have been brought up surrounded by fizzy drinks and it’s hard to give them up. They can be harmful as constant exposure means the teeth are bathed in sugar for long periods of time which aids tooth decay.
Food that is beneficial to dental health
To keep your teeth strong and healthy they need calcium and other minerals. Milk, cheese, almonds, leafy greens, plain yogurt and tofu fortified with calcium are good products for teeth. Protein-rich lean meat, fish and eggs provide phosphorus that helps to keep your enamel intact. Vegetables and fruit, because of their high water content, help to rinse out your mouth keeping it freer of damaging bacteria.
They also encourage the production of saliva through the cutting and chewing motion required to break down the food before it’s swallowed. This helps to wash out food particles and harmful acids. Many vegetables and fruits contain healthy amounts of vitamin C. Vitamin C is good for gums and allows the quick healing of any injuries in the mouth. You can’t beat water as the best tooth-friendly drink.
If you need help choosing a teeth-friendly diet, ask your dentist for advice. And make sure you stick to those twice yearly check-ups that will help to identify tooth-related problems early.
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