Dr. Reese’s advice on nutrition when it comes to promoting dental health goes beyond not eating sugar; one must have a balanced, nutritious diet. Our teeth say a lot about ourselves. This is why proper nutrition is important for good dental health. Eating patterns and food choices play an important role in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. If your nutrition is poor, the first signs often show up in your oral health.
Why Proper Nutrition is Important for Good Dental Health
The quality of the food that we eat, their nutritional value and the combinations in which they are eaten can affect oral health, including the likelihood of tooth decay.
A diet that promotes good oral health is not just about the foods you eat or avoid — when and how you eat them is equally important.
What to Eat to Keep Your Teeth
We already know that we need to cut the sugar, soda and sports drinks - as well as avoid certain types of foods to avoid staining our teeth and forming cavities. Now we list foods that you need to eat to keep your teeth:
- Cheese, milk, plain yogurt, calcium-fortified tofu, leafy greens and almonds, are good for your teeth because of their high amounts of calcium.
- Protein-rich foods like meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs are the best sources of phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus play a critical role in dental health, by protecting and rebuilding tooth enamel.
- Fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, which balance the sugars they contain and help to clean the teeth. These foods also help stimulate saliva production that helps neutralize acid, protecting teeth from decay. Plus, many contain vitamin C (important for healthy gums and quick healing of wounds) and vitamin A (another key nutrient in building tooth enamel).
- Water is the most tooth-friendly beverage.
Preventive Dental Care
Nutritional counseling is becoming an increasingly important part in preventive dental care. Adequate nutrition, or the lack of it, plays a big part in the prevention and occurrence of disease. And it all starts in our mouths! This is why during dental checkups, Dr. Reese may often ask about your eating habits.
Proper and regular brushing of one’s teeth is just a part of your preventive dental care. You should visit your dentist twice a year to have your teeth cleaned as there are teeth that are more prone to cavities even if you brush your teeth regularly and watch what you eat.
Indianapolis Dentistry is located just north of Greenwood, Indiana, 5 minutes south of I-465 on US 31 between I-65 and Highway 37. To make an appointment or to call for directions, please call 317-882-0228.