How does your daily nutrition affect your oral health?
Everyone knows that oral health is directly linked to the daily care of our teeth and gums. That’s why it’s vital to brush and floss twice daily along with visiting your family dentist for teeth cleaning and check-up every six months. We sometimes forget to focus on simple oral health problems that could lead to the need for either restorative dentistry or cosmetic dentistry.
The connection between nutrition and oral health, however, is often left by the wayside. To further help you achieve healthy teeth and gums, your favorite dentist in Palm Harbor is going to discuss how nutrition and oral health are related so that you can add watching what you eat and drink to your list of daily dental care activities.
Sugar Severely Hurts Your Teeth
Perhaps the biggest takeaway when discussing the link between nutrition and oral health is the fact that sugar is extremely bad even when you maintain proper dental care. What’s basically happening is that molecules within the sugar combine with bacteria and saliva already in your mouth, which leads to the formation of plaque on your teeth. This, in turn, causes tooth decay.
Calcium Helps Build Strong Teeth
We’ve been told for decades that calcium helps build healthy teeth and bones and this is absolutely true. Many people will turn to dairy products such as milk, cheese, and cottage cheese, but foods high in calcium also include broccoli, spinach, canned salmon, and sardines. If you can’t always ingest tooth-healthy foods and beverages, then you can get your daily allowance of calcium from supplements and calcium-enriched products.
Juice May Not Be as Healthy as You Think
In order to satisfy a child’s sweet tooth, many parents will pick up fruit juice to prevent their kids from drinking a lot of soda. However, what you might not realize is that several types of juices contain almost as much sugar as soda does, which makes them just as harmful. If you decide to put juice on your grocery list, definitely check the nutrition information first to find out its sugar content.
Diabetes Increases Likelihood of Problems
Millions of people across the country have diabetes and must always think about what they’re eating and drinking. In terms of nutrition and oral health, those suffering from diabetes are at a greater risk of developing gum disease and oral infections. This is because the disease slows down the flow of nutrients to body tissues and the expulsion of waste products from tissues as well.
Switch Soda for Green and Black Teas
The high-fructose corn syrup in soda makes it an attractive drink for not only kids, as mentioned above, but also for millions of adults. A great alternative is to start drinking green and black teas instead. These teas suppress bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. Make sure you’re drinking unsweet tea as sweet tea can cause just as much damage as sugary soda! If you brew your tea with water containing fluoride, that makes it even better for your teeth.
Nursing Sugary Food and Drink Is Really Bad
What’s even worse about eating foods and drinking beverages high in sugar is many people nurse them over a long period of time. If you must drink soda, juice, or coffee, it’s better to finish these beverages during your meal and then sip water. For instance, you may grab a cold soda during lunch, sit it at your desk, and spend the next two hours sipping from it. This constant bombardment makes it harder for your saliva to wash away the sugar, which increases the damage to your teeth.
Contact Harborview Dental Health For All Your Dental Needs
Harborview Dental Health can teach you more about the links between nutrition and oral health, in addition to providing gentle dental care techniques that will leave you with healthy teeth and a great smile. To schedule an appointment or learn about options to finance dental work, call (727) 785-4716 today!