When it comes to your oral health, good eating habits go far towards encouraging healthy teeth and gums. Unfortunately, the temptation to eat sugary sweet and acid-filled foods and drinks is everywhere you turn. Resisting the bad and choosing good foods that will nourish your body while promoting good oral health may seem hard to do but, with practice, anyone can do it. Developing good eating habits—along with good oral hygiene—is a recipe for healthy teeth and gums.
Sweet Treats
These foods may taste sweet, but they aren’t so sweet for your oral health. Foods packed with sugar, such as candy, cakes, and cookies don’t do your oral health justice. When sugars stick around in the mouth, plaque can build up. This may result in cavities. Sugar also promotes bacteria in the mouth—and not the good kind. Making a habit of consuming foods high in sugar may encourage bad bacteria in the mouth, which could result in gum disease.
Foods High in Acid
Consuming a lot of beverages high in acid, such as sodas and coffee, does a number on healthy tooth enamel. The acids can result in erosion of the enamel over time. This may cause brown stains on tooth or the teeth may become weak and brittle. Acids can also make your teeth feel more sensitive to hot and cold. Even fruit juices are high in acid, so chugging orange juice all day long may seem like a healthy option because it’s high in vitamin C, but drinking juice throughout the day can result in damage to the enamel of your teeth.
Eat Your Fruits & Veggies
Although you probably heard it growing up, eating your fruits and veggies really is a healthy choice. Not only do these foods contain high nutritional value but, when eaten raw, they also work as a natural way to clean your teeth. A Cobourg emergency dentist from Family Dental Centre says the action of biting into and chewing an apple provides some natural cleaning for teeth. As you crunch and chew, the apple cleans your teeth without damaging enamel. Vegetables such as celery and carrots can have a similar effect.
Cheese
While cheese is high in calcium, which is good for strong bones and teeth, it also works as a natural alkalizer. After eating or drinking something acidic, such as a cup of coffee, chewing on a piece of cheese will help to balance the mouth’s natural pH back to a healthy level and will help to protect the teeth from the acid of the coffee. It might be a good idea to take a few small cube-sized squares of cheese or string cheese to work with you to munch on during the day in between coffee breaks.
Making healthy choices when it comes to food can play a big role in your oral health. Once you start, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to look after your teeth simply by making healthy choices when it comes to the foods you eat.
