What Foods Can One Eat for Oral Hygiene?
It’s hard to believe it, but your food greatly impacts your oral health. Most people ignore what they eat and how it affects their oral health. For instance, did you know that the soda you love having with your sandwich during lunch could cost you your smile over time?
Most of our favorite foods and drinks, such as soda, are packed with sugar, 11 teaspoons to be exact, which can be detrimental to your oral health over time. Food and drinks loaded with sugar feed the bacteria in our mouths responsible for tooth decay and gum disease.
When sugar combines with plaque on the tooth’s surface, an acid is formed that corrodes the enamel and causes gum inflammation over time. When repeated over time, this occurrence results in periodontal disease, tooth decay, and even tooth loss that can only be rectified within our dental clinic in Calgary.
That’s why our dentist in SE Calgary not only emphasizes to our patients the importance of oral hygiene but also about eating right.
You can consume foods to boost and promote your oral hygiene because they discourage plaque buildup. These foods are nature’s gift to us and can transform your oral and overall health for the better.
Foods That Can Improve Your Oral Hygiene
Some beneficial foods can help keep your teeth strong while ensuring that your mouth stays free of bacteria and plaque accumulation. These foods boost saliva production, ensuring that your mouth stays clean even while enjoying your favorite snack or meal.
Here are some of those excellent food options:
- Dairy Products
Dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk boost saliva production. Dairy products are packed with calcium and proteins that are fundamental in strengthening your teeth and replacing the depleted minerals. The protein and calcium elements also help replace and rebuild the enamel that may have been corroded away.
- Leafy Green Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables should be a constant part of your everyday diet. They are loaded with many vitamins, minerals, and fiber that boost saliva production. Apart from being packed with all this goodness, they are low in calories, meaning that you can enjoy them every day without the fear of heaping on some unwanted weight.
Greens also contain prebiotics that helps increase the number of healthy mouth bacteria. The helpful bacteria increase the amount of nitric oxide, which is beneficial for ensuring your mouth stays clean.
The fiber found in green leafy vegetables also ensures that your gums stay clean. In reality, consuming these vegetables could be a good defense strategy against tooth decay, cavities, and gum diseases.
- Fatty Fish
Fatty fish is rich in omega 3, which supports better gum health because it can help prevent and cut back on periodontal diseases. Also, consuming omega 3 can help deal with any bleeding gums that may occur when you are brushing and flossing. Omega 3 reduces inflammation and bleeding, making it difficult to practice proper oral hygiene.
- Dark Chocolate
This worldwide renowned and cherished treat packs on more than your average treat. Dark chocolate without any sugar can help keep cavities at bay because it kills cavity-forming bacteria and prevents plaque accumulation on teeth.
Cocoa is a powerful natural mouthwash because it contains polyphenols that kill the harmful bacteria in the mouth while forming a plaque-resistant barrier on the teeth. Indulging in dark chocolate containing minimal sugar could transform and maintain your oral health.
- Apples and Celery
Apples are an excellent option if you desire to lose weight and still get your sugar fix. Apples are a source of fiber and water, meaning that apples increase saliva production and rid the mouth of food particles that encourage plaque formation.
Celery also helps get rid of any lodged food particles on the teeth. It has a rough texture than can help dislodge any stuck food particles and bacteria.
- Green and Black Tea
Tea contains polyphenols that kill and prevent bacteria from multiplying and producing acids that corrode and destroy teeth.
Contact us today at Chaparral Valley Dental for your scheduled dental checkup.