A Healthy Diet & Your Teeth

You’re a model patient and take exceptional care of your smile.  You brush twice daily, floss once daily and visit our practice at least every six months for a cleaning and exam. However, no matter how on top of these things you are, it is not all that can be considered when looking at your oral health.

Have You Considered Your Diet?

Patients will often overlook the importance of their diet as it relates to the health of their mouth, and not just the size of their waists. To help you make some healthier picks for both of these issues, below we have suggested some of our top picks for a healthier dental diet.

Water: everyone’s favorite drink to stay hydrated is also a top pick for excellent oral health. Water helps stimulate saliva, which can help protect the teeth, and also assists with speech and digestion. Water also has the ability to get in between the teeth seamlessly, so can also wash away any lingering or stuck food particles left over there too.  Another great reason to drink water is the fact that it does not contain sugar.  Several beverages options that people consume daily contain high amounts of sugar and are very acidic.  This combination = tooth decay.

Whole Grain: white rice or brown? Whole grain bread or white? By choosing the whole grain option in these and so many other examples, you can be adding a boost of vitamins and nutrients to your diet that helps out your smile. Not to mention, by choosing these over the starchy white counterparts, you are also cutting down on the amount of sugar you take in, which can lessen instances of decay.

Veggies: dark, leafy veggies, in particular, are best here. Think bok choy or broccoli, both with an ability to add some calcium to your diet, which helps strengthen and protect your smile. They also can pair nicely with the last example too…

Dairy: anyone for broccoli and cheese? Yes, cheese, yogurt, low-fat milk and more can also add calcium to your diet, besides being tasty. Calcium helps strengthen the gums, teeth, and bones that hold them in place too.

As always your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team is here if you should have any questions regarding your oral care.  If you experience dietary changes or changes in your medical history, please contact our practice to learn how these changes may impact your dental health.

Your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. Image by Flikr user torbakhopper used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.