How Can Food Choices Affect My Oral Health?
The foods you consume not only affect your overall health but can directly impact the health of your teeth and gums. We, at Hebron Family Dentistry, encourage you to be mindful of what you put in your mouth to ensure you enjoy long-term healthy smiles.
How Does Your Diet Affect Your Oral Health?
Consuming a nutritious diet plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy smile. Lacking essential nutrients can leave the tissues of your mouth weak and vulnerable to infection, resulting in periodontal (gum) disease, a leading cause of adult tooth loss. Studies show that periodontal disease progresses faster and tends to be more severe in people with poor nutrition.
What Are Mouth-Healthy Food Choices?
Make sure you consume a nutritious diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low or no-fat dairy products. If you’re craving a snack, choose a healthy option, such as raw vegetables, fresh fruit, cheese, or nuts, rather than processed or sugary foods. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to prevent a dry mouth.
What Are Foods Choices You Should Limit?
Sugary treats and sweetened fruit drinks are harmful to your oral health. Plaque-causing bacteria feast on sugars, producing acids that erode your tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay and cavities. Carbonated drinks are also harmful because they contain sugar and are acidic, which hastens the development of tooth decay and cavities. Even diet sodas are detrimental to your teeth because of the acids they contain.
We recommend limiting sticky foods, which cling to your teeth and are hard to clean off. The same applies to starchy foods, such as potato chips or white bread, because saliva breaks them into sugar, resulting in a pasty, sticky substance that lingers in your teeth’s crevices, elevating your risk of developing tooth decay or gum disease. Hard or crunchy foods can also pose a threat to your oral health. They can chip, crack, or even break your teeth, allowing the bacteria to enter the inner layers, resulting in a host of dental problems.
Healthy Oral Care Habits for Healthy Smiles
Make sure to brush your teeth no less than twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. Remember to visit Hebron Family Dentistry for your twice-a-year dental exams and cleanings to ensure your smile stays bright, healthy, and free of disease.
Quality Dental Near Me
Contact Hebron Family Dentistry in Hebron, KY, to learn more about the preventive dentistry services we offer to safeguard your oral health. We are all about ensuring our valued patients maintain bright, clean, and healthy smiles. Call us and schedule your appointment today!