Healthy Nutrition for Optimal Dental Health- Guest Post
This week we have awonderful post from guest writer Susan Louisa of Oxford House Dental Practicediscussing some great food and nutrition tips for optimizing your dentalhealth. Throughout the post Susan discusses both foods that are potentiallybeneficial for dental health as well as those foods that you should be cautiousof in relation to dental health. **Please consult with your Dentist orDietitian with any questions in relation to foods and dental health for theindividual as these recommendations can vary for individuals who alreadystruggle with certain dental problems or have certain medical conditions.** Ihope you enjoy this awesome post and would love to hear any feedback you have!
Good Foods for Dental Health
1. Water
Fluoridated water is the key to maintaining good dental healthbecause it enables the teeth to build a stronger immunity to cavities.
Dental carries are one of the most common childhood diseases,and fluoridating the water we drink is the most effective way to build resistance to cavities on a community-wide level.
2. Milk and Other Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, and yogurt contain protein and calcium whichstrengthen teeth and encourage good dental health.
Dairy products are also low in sugar, making them less likely tocause problems such as tooth decay.
3. Lean Proteins
Foods such as poultry, meat, fish, milk, and eggs are rich inphosphorus. Phosphorus helps maintain strong, healthy teeth.
4. Fruits and Veggies
- Apples and Other Fibrous Fruit
It is true that “an apple a day keeps the dentist away”! While eating apples doesnot count as a substitute for brushing and flossing, eating apples and otherfibrous fruits like oranges can remove plaque and other bacteria from theteeth, as you chew. They also increase salivation, which keeps the mouth cleanand neutralised.
Increase vitamin C levels in your diet by consuming citrusfruits and other fresh fruits like apples, strawberries, pineapples, and pears.Vitamin C is essential for healthy gums and chewing fibrous fruits and crunchyvegetables stimulates your gums.
- Carrots, Celery, and RootVegetables
Raw carrots, celery, and other fibrous vegetables are excellentsources of beta carotene, which helps the body produce vitamin A. Vitamin Aplays a huge role in maintaining healthy, strong teeth.
Chewing these hard, fibrous vegetables stimulates saliva production,which acts as a natural cleanser to the mouth.
- Leafy Green and CruciferousVegetables
Veggies like lettuce, kale, spinach, cabbage, chard, asparagus,and other leafy greens and dark multi-coloured vegetables are rich in variousvitamins and nutrients that are essential to good oral health.
Dark greens contain vitamins A and C, beta carotene, phosphorus,magnesium, and calcium. Phosphorus helps your body maintain balance and assistsin the absorption of magnesium and calcium.
- Berries
Raspberries, cranberries, and blueberries are high inanthocyanins, which prevent the infectious pathogens from forming colonies onthe teeth. These pathogens include the bacteria that cause plaque, tartar, andtooth decay.
5. Nourishing Nuts
Nuts contain an assortment of minerals and vitamins tostrengthen your teeth and gums. Calcium, fibre, iron, folic acid, and magnesiumare all essential to your oral health.
Also, chewing nuts stimulates salivation, which naturally cleansthe teeth.
Foods to Avoid
1. Sour Candies
Sour candies contain higher levels of harmful acids that aretough on the teeth. They stick in the crevices of your molars and if notremoved properly cause problems like tooth decay and cavities.
2. Bread
When craving carbs, look for whole wheat varieties because theseoptions contain less sugar, and are less likely to bind to the teeth and createcavities.
When you eat white bread, the saliva in your mouth turns thestarches into sugar, which then stick to the teeth. This sugar leads to tooth decayand cavities.
3. Alcohol
Drinking alcohol, for many people, leads to dry mouth. Dry mouthis problematic because saliva production is essential to a healthy, cleanmouth. Dry mouth causes the gums and other oral tissues to swell, becomeuncomfortable, and no longer produce saliva. Also, a dry mouth is the perfectsetting for germs to thrive. Germs, dry mouth, and swollen gums lead to badbreath.
Dry mouth leads to tooth decay because the lack of salivaprevents food particles from being washed from the mouth. Saliva also helpsaddress symptoms of periodontal diseases and other oral conditions.
4. Carbonated Drinks
Not only does soda stain teeth over the years, but it also encouragesplaque and tartar build-up.
If you sip on carbonated drinks and sodas all day, you aresipping on acids and sugars that dry out the mouth, stain your teeth, andattack your enamel.
5. Ice
Chewing on ice will hurt the enamel of your teeth, making you moresusceptible to damage such as cracks, breaks, and chips in the teeth.
You may use ice with your drinks, but resist chewing on it.
6. Limit Citrus
While these fruits are high in vitamin C, which can be helpfulfor the teeth, limit your consumption of oranges, lemons, and grapefruits toavoid enamel erosion due to their acidity.
Eat and drink these in moderation and rinse the mouth with waterafter.
7. Dried Fruits
Most dried fruits are sticky, they bind to the teeth and remainin the crevices of the back molars until washed or brushed away. They alsoleave behind sugars on the enamel that slowly eats away at the surface of thetooth, causing cavities and other issues.
Thank you again Susan for this fabulous post!
Wishing you all a great week and beautiful smiles,
–Ricci-LeeHotz, MS, RDN
Denver’s Dancing Dietitian
A Taste of Health, LLC
“Improving Quality of life one bite at a time”