What you eat and drink directly affects the health of your teeth. The quality and consistency of foods, their nutritional composition, and the combinations in which they are eaten all have an effect on your oral health.
Antioxidants and other nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts may strengthen immunity and improve the body’s ability to fight bacteria and inflammation which will help protect teeth and gums.
Foods rich in calcium such as cheese and milk help promote healthy teeth and bones, reducing the risk of tooth loss from decay while crisp fruits and raw vegetables, such as apples, carrots, and celery actually clean plaque from teeth and can freshen your breath.
Antioxidant rich vitamins such as Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables will help protect your gum from bacterial infections and folic acid such as what is found in green leafy vegetables will promote a healthy mouth.
Crash dieting and yo-yo dieting can seriously affect the health of your teeth. Restrictive diets make the body more vulnerable to vitamin deficiencies, such as D, B-12 and calcium, not to mention certain minerals and proteins that are missing from strict diets.
A well-balanced diet is characterised by moderation and variety. If you are dieting choose a healthy diet that includes foods from the five major food groups: fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, milk and dairy products and meat, chicken, fish or beans. Avoid fad diets that limit or eliminate entire food groups, which usually result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Drinking plenty of water helps to clean the mouth of acids and food stuffs that accelerate tooth decay.
Dentally healthy snacks include nuts, raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese and sugarless gum or lollies.
The dental team at Somerset Dental can advise you how your nutrition and diet may affect your oral health, contact us today.