Improve Your Oral Health by Improving Your Diet

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You are what you eat. This couldn’t be truer when it comes to your oral health. What you eat will affect your oral health, so if your diet lacks essential vitamins and minerals, you may have issues with cavities, sensitivity, gum disease, stains or other issues. Read on for tips on how to improve your diet and your oral health.

Water

Water will help hydrate your body, as well as your mouth and gums, making them healthier than regularly drinking sugary beverages would. Water can also rinse your mouth after eating or drinking foods containing sugar or caffeine in between brushing. Most tap water contains fluoride, which can improve your tooth’s enamel, so skip the bottled stuff if you can and drink from the tap.

Leafy Veggies

Eat leafy vegetables daily such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, broccoli or collards, which all contain Vitamin K. Vitamin K can improve your body’s ability to heal, so if you have a mouth sore or bleeding gums, these veggies can help reduce healing time.

Fresh Fruits

Most canned fruit or fruit cups contain artificial sugars and other sweeteners that can wreak havoc on your teeth. Eating fresh fruit is the best way to go, as they only contain natural sugars. Berries, grapes, apples and melons all contain vitamins that are healthy for your teeth and gums.

Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes or pineapples are also good, but they are very acidic and can cause tooth sensitivity if eaten in excess.

Dairy

Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt all contain calcium which is good for your bones and your teeth. It can help improve your bone structure in your body and in your jaw, which can keep your teeth strong. Calcium can also keep your tooth’s enamel healthy and strong.

Sugar

Reduce the amount of sugar in your diet from sugary drinks, candy and other sweets to prevent that sugar from causing plaque to form on your teeth, eventually eating through your teeth and turning into a cavity or causing other types of decay. Skip out on the extra sweets and replace at least one sugary drink with water every day to help improve your oral health.

Other Oral Health Tips:

Your diet can improve your oral health, but so can the tips below:

  • See the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings to have your teeth professionally cleaned and to have plaque buildup removed to prevent cavities. You should schedule a cleaning at least every six months.
  • Brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and brush in a circular motion using a fluoride toothpaste. Also, be sure to floss daily to get rid of plaque in between teeth.
  • Chew food and nothing but food. Control nerves by doing something else rather than chewing pen caps or fingernails, which can damage your teeth.
  • Use a mouth guard if you grind your teeth at night to protect your teeth from damage such as cracking or being worn down. You can find a mouth guard at your local pharmacy, or talk to your dentist about your teeth grinding to have a guard specially made for you.
  • Never use your teeth to open up containers or packages. Your teeth are for eating and chewing, not for opening packages. Use scissors instead.

Your oral health can affect more than just your teeth and gums, it can affect your overall health as well so it’s imperative that you take good care of your teeth. Make an appointment with Advanced Family Dental Care today for a checkup and cleaning and for other tips to improve your oral health.