They say you are what you eat; if true, you need to pay attention to what you eat throughout the day as it affects your gum and tooth health. Whether you eat or drink, it will first enter your mouth. Therefore, experts suggest you watch out for your eating habits. You may calm your craving by eating sugary and starchy foods, but you are also making way for the bacteria to cause tooth decay and gum infections.
Many people in New Jersey suffer from dental problems because of plaque buildup. Hence, everyone needs to focus on what they eat. Some food items help in preventing plaque buildup, while others promote it. This article includes a list of food items that help maintain good dental health.
Table of Contents
Good foods that promote good dental health
- Grass-fed dairy
According to an expert dentist in Hammonton, NJ, grass-fed dairy products are a must-have to maintain good dental health. Dairy products, including milk, cheese, and butter, are a rich source of Vitamin K2, essential for healthy teeth. You can obtain Vitamin K2 from beef, chicken liver, and eggs.
- Fatty Fish
Another good food that promotes healthy teeth is fatty fish. It is high in Vitamin A and Vitamin D. These vitamins are necessary for all the parts of your body, and it also helps prevent tooth decay. Vitamin D and A work synergically to strengthen the enamel from the inside out.
- Leafy greens
Leafy greens are beneficial for your teeth as they help produce nitrite-reducing bacteria. Leafy vegetables help your teeth feel cleaner and support good dental health. Therefore, doctors suggest adding leaves like kale, spinach, arugula, and turnip greens to your diet. You can have them as salads or main course, or turn them into smoothies for a better taste.
Foods to avoid
- Dried Fruits
Though fruits are healthy and prosperous sources of different vitamins and minerals. However, dried fruits are not that healthy option. It is more like a caramel left behind after stripping out water. The dried fruits, candies, and chips are food for microbes in your mouth. It increases the chances of tooth decay, bad breath, and gum infections.
- Soda
Soda has high sugar and calories. Many people debate about diet soda being good for health as it has zero calories, but that is not true. Even with no calories and low sugar, a bottle of soda has high acid content. A regular intake of high acidic liquids will lead to tooth decay and a general dysbiosis of the dental microbiome. Experts recommend swishing your mouth with clean water immediately after drinking carbonated drinks.
Things you should do to maintain a good oral health
Apart from the dietary changes, there are several other things that you must add to your daily routine to ensure your teeth and gum health. You can infuse the following:
- Brush yours twice a day, once in the morning and before bed.
- Ensure that you at least floss once a day
- Consider using mouthwash
Final words
Taking care of your oral health is equally important as caring for your physical health. Making little dietary and lifestyle changes can help you achieve good dental health. Little carelessness on an everyday basis can lead to severe tooth decay and gum inflammation. You may sometimes remove your tooth to prevent it from harming the nerves further. Therefore, it is better to start with dental care than regretting later.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.