What we put into our mouth can be good for our mouths and together by visiting us regularly your overall oral health will stay in tip top shape.
Ongoing research indicates that antioxidants and other nutrients found in many of the foods we eat may help strengthen our immune systems and improve our body’s ability to fight bacteria and inflammation, all of which can help protect our teeth and gums.
So when it comes to oral health, today’s nutritional approaches go way beyond the traditional ‘don’t eat sugar!’
Here are our top 5 nutrition tips for a healthy mouth:
1. Go Raw
Crisp raw fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, celery and carrots help to clean plaque from teeth and freshen our breath. Supposedly the high water content stimulates saliva, which helps to wash away left-over food particles.
2. Water
Water is always the best choice of drink to for a healthy mouth as it helps to promote saliva production. And it could possibly be your mouths’ best defence against tooth decay because it contains proteins and minerals that counteract enamel-eating acids.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is found in oranges, tomatoes, strawberries and many other fruits and vegetables. This helps to protect gums and other tissues from cell damage and infection from bacteria. Vitamin C also helps your gums to stay strong as it helps produce collagen.
4. Eat Dark Vegetables
Dark vegetables such as spinach, kale, peas and broccoli all contain folic acid which may promote a healthy mouth by supporting cells growth and cell repair throughout the entire body.
5. Dine on Diary
Foods containing dairy (cheese, milk, yoghurt etc) are rich in calcium and Vitamin D. These help to keep teeth and bones healthy and reduces tooth loss. Calcium also helps protect your teeth against gum disease. So swap the chocolate bar for a nice slice of cheese.
For a healthy mouth keep it simple, focus on a well-balanced nutrient dense diet versus individual nutrients.
Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, lean protein (such as fish, eggs and poultry) and healthy fats (avocados, almonds and olive oil). Oh, and definitely still brush and floss daily and have regular dental visits for those important dental checks and cleans.
The information contained in this article is intended to give you general information and it is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
If you wish to know more about how you can prevent dental decay and gum disease contact Wisdom Teeth Professionals in Sydney by giving Dr. Paulo Pinho a call on 1300 217 858.