Long Ridge Dental BLOG

Foods for Bright Teeth and a Healthier Smile

By: Long Ridge Dental | Tags: | Comments: 0 | July 29th, 2015

We all know that brushing our teeth twice daily and flossing them regularly avoids tooth decay and gum problems, but did you know that the type of diet we consume affects our oral health? Yes! A rich and healthy diet can keep our smile bright and our gums healthy.

A balanced diet is what we need to maintain the health of our gums and teeth. Many nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, and many others are important for oral health. Along with a smart diet, limiting our snacks can also help, because when we eat, the flow of saliva cleanses the mouth and teeth, and eating too many snacks can prevent that from happening.

We will now look at the foods we should consume for a bright teeth and a healthier smile

• Water: This is the most important food for survival, and it is good for our teeth as it neutralizes the acids in the mouth.
• Sugar-free drinks: If you like sugared water, you need to eliminate that from your diet now, as sugar and any food item containing sugar in it is harmful for your teeth. Sugar causes tooth cavities. So, drink sugar-free drinks as they wash off the acid producing food from your mouth, thereby reducing the risk of developing cavities.
• Sugar-free chewing gum: Chewing gum frequently increases the flow of saliva in our mouth, and as we know, saliva washes away the food and neutralizes the acids in the mouth, protecting tooth enamel.
• Citrus fruits: Although citrus fruits are acidic, they increase the flow of saliva in the mouth. According to a research, fruits such as oranges and grapefruits help in protecting the tooth enamel.
• Cheese and milk: Cheese and milk helps the tooth enamel, and helps fight cavities in many ways. Firstly, they encourage the production of saliva in the mouth, thus neutralizing the acids present. As milk is rich in calcium, they help in protecting the minerals on the surface of the teeth, making our teeth healthier and stronger.

• Fish and flax: One of the biggest threats to the oral health is the gum disease. When the bacteria accumulate in the pockets, it causes inflammation of the gums. Foods like fish and flax reduces the inflammation. According to a research, people who consume a high amount of omega-3 are less likely to develop infections or inflammations, and they are more resistant to gum disease.
• Cocoa: substances found in the cocoa helps in reducing the inflammation of the gum and help against erosion and decay. A better option would be to go for dark chocolate as it contains less of the sugar, and more of the cocoa.