How Does Diet Affect your Dental Health?

You should visit your dentist regularly and be mindful of your diet for optimal oral health. You should care for the tissues, fibers, mineral-based surfaces, and bones that protect and hold your teeth. Rich nutrition will also maintain your gum health and help them be resistant to some diseases like gingivitis.

Nutrition and Dental Health

For your teeth and gums to stay healthy, you need to evaluate your diet. For children, deficiency in calcium and vitamins can slow down teeth eruption, cause poor tooth formation, abnormal jawbone development, bleeding gums, and periodontal disease. On the other hand, taking a lot of sugars and starches leads to dental erosion and cavities. This is because bacteria feed on them.

Proteins help to repair tissues and build bones. Calcium, some fatty acids, and vitamins C&D help to keep your jaws functional for a lifetime. Protein is an important component in bone mineral density (BMD). Healthy BMD indicates enough mineral content in your bones for a healthy body structure. Healthier bones mean reduced risks of fractures.

Also, having a low BMD exposes you to the risk of osteoporosis.

Your bone mineral density can improve if you take protein-rich diets and foods with calcium and vitamin D. Higher BMD means stronger periodontal structure as you will have healthier bones. You can consult your dentist to learn more about the foods you should eat for improved oral health.

Picking the Right Foods for Your Oral Health

Calcium is one of the minerals that strengthen your teeth. Therefore, consuming diets rich in calcium will help you have strong teeth and healthy gums. Examples of such foods include milk, cheese, plain yogurt, and leafy greens. You should also include protein-rich foods like fish, eggs, and meat, as they help improve your enamel and bone density.

To stimulate saliva production, consume foods with high water content and fiber, like fruits and vegetables. Saliva helps wash away food particles, neutralize acids, prevent decay and balance the sugars consumed from food.

Lastly, staying hydrated is important not just for your body but oral health too. Drinks lots of water ensure healthy saliva production. Furthermore, fluoridated water is important in strengthening and repairing your enamel. Water also flushes away food particles that may be stuck in between teeth and other crevices. This reduces the risk of bacteria and keeps your teeth clean.

The Foods to Stay Away From

Enamel is the thin, hard mineral coating covering your teeth. It protects them from decay and the stress of biting, chewing, crunching, or grinding. However, your enamel can corrode and weaken over time due to sugary or acidic foods. And, unfortunately, the enamel cannot be regenerated once it has been eroded.

Therefore, it would help to avoid foods with lots of sugar or drinks that may be acidic such as sports and energy beverages.

Dental Health and Diet

Tooth decay can be caused by the consumption of foods that contain sugars. Diseases are more severe and progress faster in people that with poor nutrition. For cavities, prevention is being mindful of what you eat. Always check the ingredients and nutrition facts label on foods and choose the ones with low quantities of sugars.

Food and Snacks to Avoid

The foods that you shouldn’t consume often include:

• Sugary snacks – this is because sugar is one of the main causes of dental problems.
• Processed foods that have been genetically modified
• Sports drinks – These contain corrosive acids that can erode your enamel. Thin enamels lead to tooth sensitivity and weaken your tooth’s structure.
• Do not take drinks that stain your teeth.
• Tobacco as it contains nicotine and harmful chemicals.

Your diet can be healthy, but it doesn’t guarantee that your teeth will remain intact. There are periodontal problems that will require professional attention. At Factor DMD – NJ, we care about your teeth. Our dentist will examine your teeth and suggest the foods you need to include or exclude from your diet.

In addition, those problems that diets can’t fix will be treated. Our dentist in Marlboro Township, NJ, offers general and preventive dentistry services, so you can rest assured we’ve got you covered. Call us to book an appointment or learn more about our services.