The Importance of a Balanced Diet for Strong Teeth

Aug 01, 2023

Healthy teeth and nutrition complement each other. Therefore, to promote healthy teeth and gums, it is essential to have various nutrient-rich foods, including vegetables, whole grains, protein, and calcium-rich foods providing crucial nutrients for optimal dental and overall health.

If you are not having nutrient-rich foods essential for your body, your mouth will encounter challenges in resisting infections contributing to periodontal disease, a significant cause of tooth loss in adults. Inappropriate nutrition does not cause periodontal disease, but many scientists believe the condition progresses faster and affects people with poor nutrition severely.

Your Oral Health Equals Your Nutrition

Appropriate nutrition and healthy teeth start with evaluating what contacts your tooth enamel daily. Any foods or beverages you have can influence your tooth composition. Your teeth and gums are constantly impacted by your food choices. American foods consist of sugary and processed foods and highly acidic beverages, eroding the tooth enamel, causing cavities, and requiring assistance from the dentist near you to restore teeth. Therefore, to promote good oral health, it is crucial to focus on appropriate nutrition proactively.

Eating practices and food choices among teenagers and children are essential factors affecting how quickly they might develop tooth decay. When bacteria interact with the food in the mouth, they produce acids to attack the teeth, eventually causing tooth decay. Unfortunately, it is a chronic problem among teenagers and children who neglect their dental health and forget to brush and floss.

Food choices play an essential role in causing tooth decay. Some foods harm the teeth, while others have essential nutrients to keep them healthy and strong. When trying to follow a nutrient-rich diet, it helps to discuss your concerns with the dental office near you and adhere to the dentist’s instructions to stick to the food pyramid structured to give you healthy servings of the most necessary food groups.

Food Choices for Excellent Nutrition and Healthy Teeth

The Alexandria dentist suggests limiting snacking and avoiding sugary and acidic foods, carbonated drinks, and sticky foods to keep your teeth healthy. Below are some foods they recommend as excellent for oral health containing nutrients that keep your teeth healthy and strong.

  • Calcium-Rich Foods: the American Dental Association mentions that people eating foods containing calcium and phosphorus, like meat, fish, and eggs, help strengthen tooth enamel to keep the teeth healthy. Such people are less likely to develop periodontal disease. In addition, calcium is essential to prevent tooth decay, especially among growing children. Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are excellent sources of calcium. Alternative options include leafy greens, almonds, Brazil nuts, dried beans, and canned fish. Studies reveal that cheese neutralizes plaque acids, and a glass of milk can lower acid levels produced by bacteria in dental plaque.
  • Healthy Fats: an essential component of an anti-inflammatory diet to promote oral health is healthy fats. Choosing healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and salmon are recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics because they work to promote good oral health.
  • Water: do not look for a sweetened carbonated beverage if you are thirsty; instead, reach out for a glass of water. Fluoridated tap water is excellent for protecting your teeth while having many other benefits. Instead of having carbonated or sweetened drinks, bottled water is better. However, bottled water available on the market does not contain fluoride. Therefore it helps if you drink tap water for optimal benefits. Fluoridated water strengthens tooth enamel to help prevent tooth decay making teeth more resistant to acid attacks by dental plaque and sugars. Fluoride also helps reverse the early decline.

While nutrition is essential to build strong teeth, you cannot ignore twice-daily brushing, once-daily flossing, and six monthly dental visits to the Alexandria dentist because they are crucial to having healthy teeth. When you overlook dental visits, you expose your teeth and gums to the risk of infections like tooth decay and gum disease. While you can reduce your risk of enamel erosion and cavities by following the healthy eating guidelines suggested, you must combine good at-home oral hygiene and dental examinations twice yearly to enjoy your natural teeth for life.

If you lack the knowledge about the essentiality of a balanced diet for your teeth, you help yourself by arranging an appointment with Burton Dentistry to discuss the foods you must incorporate to ensure you develop strong teeth and gums without infections. Please meet them at the earliest before you become prone to dental conditions.

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