While you may think that caring for dental health is all about brushing and flossing your teeth, that notion is not entirely accurate. You are what you eat and drink. Eating highly processed, nutritionless, and fatty foods will not do you a favor but increase your chances of obesity and developing dental health conditions like bad breath, tooth decay, and cavities.
So, which foods have significant effects on your gums and teeth? Please continue reading this blog post to learn what foods to include in your diet and why.
Critical Nutrients For Stronger Gums and Teeth
Certain nutrients maintain dental hygiene while safeguarding your gums and teeth from invading bacteria and tooth decay. They include the following:
- Vitamin C — Vitamin C is essential for maintaining your oral health. It strengthens your blood vessels and connective tissues, keeping the bond between your teeth and jawbone. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that lowers inflammation, a major cause of gingivitis. A diet rich in vitamin C can also reduce the risk of gum disease.
- Phosphorus and calcium — After an acidic meal, your teeth require minerals to restore your eroded enamel. Phosphorus and calcium are enamel’s building blocks; hence, eating foods and drinking drinks rich in them keeps teeth and gums healthy.
- Vitamin D — Your body requires vitamin D to help it absorb calcium, which benefits your teeth’s health.
- Antioxidants — They are vital in fighting bacteria, which is the root cause of gum disease. They also protect gums and tissues from cell damage.
- Polyphenols, arginine, and anthocyanins — Arginine disrupts plaque formation. Polyphenols slow bacterial growth and protect teeth from plaque and gum disease, while anthocyanins prevent plaque attachment to teeth and fight oral cancer.
- Probiotics — There are many harmful and good bacteria. Probiotics are good bacteria that reduce plaque and promote healthy gums.
Foods For Healthier Teeth And Gums
Optimal oral health goes beyond avoiding cavities. It also involves caring for mineral-based tooth surfaces, bone structures that hold teeth in place, fibers, and tissues. Like all body structures, your teeth require nutrition to remain healthy and strong. Proper oral health requires a nutrient-dense diet with protein, fruits, vegetables, grains, low starches and sugar.
Drinking Water
Drinking lots of fluoridated water is a suitable way to protect your gums and teeth.
On top of quenching your thirst, it aids in avoiding cravings for sugary fruit juices and beverages.
Drinking water following a meal or snack throughout your day can rinse away food particles and bacteria while keeping your mouth hydrated. Dry gums and mouths are grounds for breeding bacteria that cause bad breath and cavities. You should also drink water in the morning to hydrate the mouth and rinse away any bacteria that have developed in your mouth overnight.
Dairy Products like Cheese, Milk, and Yogurt
Some of the reasons why you should eat cheese include the following:
- It is rich in calcium and contains less sugar.
- Cheese is also rich in casein, which is a form of protein vital for strengthening tooth enamel.
- The calcium in cheese maintains bone density.
- It contains high levels of phosphate, which balances the pH level in your mouth, preserving your tooth enamel.
- Finally, chewing cheese enhances saliva generation, which washes bacteria from your mouth.
After fluoridated water, milk is the most suitable drink for your teeth due to its high calcium levels, among other vital elements. Milk also reduces the acidity levels in your mouth, which fights tooth decay.
Yogurt contains calcium and probiotics that safeguard you against gum disease, cavities, and bad breath.
Onions are Good for Your Mouth’s Health
While onions might not be the most pleasant-smelling vegetables, they are excellent for dental health. They are loaded with powerful antibacterial properties that can aid in fighting off dangerous bacteria in your mouth. Onions detoxify the body and assist in fighting inflammation and osteoporosis.
They are also rich in vitamin C.
You can eat the onion raw or cooked. Since it might be challenging to eat a raw onion, consider mixing it into salads with delicious dressings to ease your bite.
Apples Will Keep a Dentist Away
While dentists recommend keeping off sweet foods and drinks, there are certain exceptions. Fruits, like apples, are sweet but packed with water and fiber. Eating apples helps with saliva production, which rinses away food debris and mouth bacteria. Their fibrous texture also stimulates your gums.
Eating apples is not the same as brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, but it can clean your teeth until you can brush.
For good teeth scrubbing, you can accompany your meals with apple slices or a whole apple for dessert.
Seeds and Nuts
Nuts and seeds contain calcium, magnesium, and protein, which are crucial for strong bones and teeth. They also have healthy fats that are beneficial to your overall health. Eating nuts and seeds like chia seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds stimulates saliva production, which can neutralize dangerous acids and cleanse your mouth.
Almonds, for instance, are suitable for your dental health because they are a great source of protein and calcium while being low in sugar. They are also a great source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that promotes blood circulation and reduces inflammation. While eating almonds with your meal, add some salad or stir-fry them.
The Relationship Between Carrots and Healthy Gums and Mouth
Carrots are more beneficial when eaten raw. Their crunchy texture acts as a natural toothbrush that cleans your teeth because they act as a natural toothbrush. However, they are not a substitute for brushing your teeth appropriately.
Chewing carrots also massages the gums, enhancing their well-being and blood circulation. This vegetable’s vitamin A and keratin aid in teeth’s enamel repair.
Ways Salmons Can Promote Your Dental Health
Salmons are ideal for oral and overall health because they are low in fat and rich in protein. The protein helps revitalize your gums while repairing damaged muscle tissues around the body.
Salmons are also rich in vitamin D, which aids the body in absorbing calcium for healthy bones and teeth.
Fish like sardines and mackerel are excellent sources of omega-3. Omega-3s contain anti-inflammatory characteristics that aid in reducing potential gum disease and gum inflammation.
Green Tea
Green tea possesses multiple benefits that are excellent for your oral health.
First, it is loaded with catechins, a natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Drinking green tea can lower gum inflammation and prevent the growth of mouth bacteria.
Halitosis (bad breath) indicates an unbalanced oral microbiome (plenty of specific oral bacteria cause an unpleasant odor). One effective way to treat the condition is by cultivating proper microbiological cultures in your mouth instead of covering up the smell with breath mints. Green tea has polyphenols that disrupt bacterial growth.
While green tea can assist you in maintaining healthy gums, it could also negatively affect your beautiful smile. Green tea has tannins that contribute to its color and could be absorbed into your enamel, leaving stains on the tooth surface. The teeth discoloration does not disappear with everyday oral health hygiene routine. Therefore, watch out for staining or yellowing signs.
Moreover, green teas have added sugars to improve their flavor. While you might enjoy this sweet drink, sugar can increase the chances of developing cavities in your teeth.
Leafy Greens
Lefty greens are probiotics that healthy oral bacteria thrive on and aid the mouth in producing more nitrite-lowering bacteria. Consequently, your cardiovascular system and mouth benefit from increased nitric oxide.
Leafy greens leave your teeth cleaner and actively support a healthier dental microbiome.
Darker greens are most suitable for your teeth, as they are also rich in crucial minerals your teeth need during remineralization to fortify their structure. Beneficial leafy greens include spinach, kale, Swiss chard, turnip greens, and arugula.
Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruit is extremely rich in vitamin C, preventing collagen breakdown in your gums. Lots of vitamin C in your diet keeps the gums healthy by preventing gum disease.
Vitamin C also helps with calcium absorption, which is vital for strong teeth and bones.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are beneficial to your oral health. They are loaded with vitamin C, which helps reduce gum inflammation and prevent gum disease.
However, eating lots of citrus fruits can cause the erosion of your teeth’s enamel, so you should eat them in moderation.
Lean Meat
Lean meats, including chicken, are a great source of proteins for optimal oral health.
Lean meat also provides your body with phosphorus, a nutritional mineral that helps in bone production and remodeling. Without phosphorus, the teeth could chip easily, even when your diet has vast amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
Chewing a Sugarless Gum
Sugar-free gum contains no sugar, but its taste is derived from sweeteners, making it a gum that does not cause tooth decay.
Chewing the gum between your meals safeguards your gums and teeth when brushing your teeth using a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste is impossible.
The teeth are at a higher risk of an acid attack following a meal. The acid is generated by plaque-causing bacteria, and the sugars present in your food and beverages could lead to the gradual erosion of your teeth’s enamel. Plaque is the thin, sticky film that forms over your teeth and contains different types of bacteria, which can lead to periodontal disease and tooth decay.
You lessen the risk of acid by chewing sugar-free gum because it helps your mouth generate more saliva. Saliva is the mouth’s natural defense against acidic bacteria.
Your Dental Health Improves When You Eat Broccoli
Broccoli is an excellent source of dental health protection. You can enjoy the benefits of broccoli when you eat it raw or lightly steamed.
Broccoli encourages oral health by providing teeth and gums with essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, including the following:
- Sulforaphane — Sulforaphane is a vitamin that reduces the risk of different types of mouth cancer.
- Vitamin C — Vitamin C reduces the potential risk of periodontal disease while strengthening your tissues.
- Kaempferol — Kaempferol contains flavonoids that help protect the teeth against periodontal diseases.
- Beta-carotene — Beta-carotene contains vitamin A, which protects your gums and health.
The concentration of the nutrients found in broccoli depends on the color. For instance, florets with deep purple and green colors have the highest concentration of vitamins and nutrients.
Raw broccoli is also known to eradicate plaque, which leads to improved dental health.
Celery is a Wonder Vegetable
Celery is a crunchy vegetable with a high water content and is also rich in antioxidants, which is helpful in your quest to achieve healthier gums and teeth.
Celery is mainly associated with soups, poultry stuffing, sliced carrots, sliced cucumbers, and vegetable platters. These vegetable platters are great for your oral health and overall health.
How Garlic Promotes Your Dental Health
Garlic has allicin, which gives you garlic breath. Allicin contains antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that fight bacteria and reduce cavities and mouth infections.
You can also use garlic for toothaches caused by brushing aggressively, gum infections, or cavities. Some of the ways to use garlic for toothache include the following:
- Chewing on peeled cloves.
- Leaving the chewed cloves near the toothache site.
- Crushing the cloves into a paste, mix it with salt before applying it to the toothache site.
Cacao Nibs
Chocolate is a comfort food, but without added sugar, it can keep oral bacteria in check and stop plaque from forming on your teeth, preventing cavities.
Berries and Dental Health
Berries like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are delicious and excellent for dental health. They are rich in antioxidants, which fight infections and reduce inflammation.
The berries also contain vitamin C.
Find a Preventive Beverly Hills Dentist Near Me
Taking care of your dental health should not be challenging. Healthy food choices and eating patterns can improve your gums and teeth when complemented with oral care routines like flossing and brushing. At Dr Joseph Goodman, we recognize that your diet is your first line of defense and can advise on the best foods to eat and what to avoid. We can also answer your questions and address your concerns. Please contact our Beverly Hills dental office at 310-860-9311 for more information.
