Healthy Teeth Need a Well-Balanced Diet

The backbone of healthy living is a healthy and a nutritious diet. A good diet promises your body the nutrition it needs. It contributes to each living cell in your body, right from your head to the tip of your toes. In short, a well-balanced and a healthy diet help you to be in the pink of health 24/7 through out the year.
Oral health is not just dependent on brushing and flossing the teeth. While that is a part of the reason for good oral health, eating a proper diet has a much deeper and a more significant contribution.
A diet that is rich in sugar and unnecessary starch brings about tooth decay and periodontal disease. The unwanted sugar leads to the formation of bacteria in your mouth which takes the form of plaque and tarter. With time this stubborn plaque eats into the enamel of the teeth and erodes them. Before you know it the problem sets in deeper and deeper and to the point where you can lose your teeth.

Tips to keep your sugar craving in control:

  • Avoid snacking on sugar based food and drinks.
  • Even if you have had one, make sure to rinse your mouth after every sweet that you have consumed.
  • Opt for fresh fruit, instead of the dried sugary ones.
  • Go for sugar free food.

While these are the do’s and don’ts it is necessary to opt for a healthy diet. Your enamel once destroyed cannot be built or grown back. Therefore it is better to be preventive and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy Foods for Healthy Teeth

  • Calcium helps your bones and teeth to get stronger and healthier. Consume lots of green vegetables, nuts and milk products.
  • Vitamin D helps the body to grow. Soy products and certain varieties of fish are Vitamin D enriched.
  • Vitamin A is considered to be good for skin and boosts the immune system and makes is strong to fight diseases. Vegetables like carrots and some fruits help to do the needful.
  • Vitamin C is a must for healthy gums. Citrus fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers and broccoli naturally help to improve your gums.
  • Proteins help to make your strong and provide the necessary strength to the body.

So adopt and diet that helps you to follow the path of healthy living.

5 Foods to Eat This Holiday to Strengthen Teeth

Most people know that it is important to stay on top of oral hygiene to maintain their overall oral health, but there are several other things that everyone can do to strengthen teeth. Things such as specific types of food and some hygiene products offer great nutrients that can help promote a healthy smile for a lifetime.

5 Holiday Foods to Strengthen Teeth

Try eating these five foods this holiday to strengthen teeth.

  1. Fatty Fish
    Fatty fish such as salmon is full of good nutrients such as vitamin D which helps your body absorb calcium, which is essential for tooth and bone health.
  1. Dairy Products
    Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese offer plenty of tooth and bone-strengthening calcium.
  1. Whole Grains
    Whole grain foods such as unprocessed oats are loaded with beneficial minerals that strengthen teeth.
  1. Dark Leafy Green Vegetables
    Dark, leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach offer plenty of calcium and other minerals which promote good tooth and bone health.
  1. Citrus Fruit
    Citrus fruits are filled with many beneficial nutrients such as vitamin C and calcium which help promote gum and tooth health. Make a point of drinking water after you eat citrus fruits to neutralize their acidity in your mouth.These five tooth-strengthening foods can be easily added to any meal this holiday. Talk to your dentist at Dental Studio 101 for more useful information about how you can improve your tooth and gum health.

Get Healthy Teeth With Cheese

Sure enough saying cheese helps you get a brilliant smile that shows of sparkly white teeth. Rightly said, as cheese is not just limited to that. Research has shown that cheese helps to maintain the acidic levels in the mouth and protect teeth.

How Does Cheese Give You Healthy Teeth?

Irrespective of the kind, consumption of cheese on a regular basis not only adds to the daily dose of protein that your body needs, it also helps protect your mouth from cavities and other oral disease. In addition, cheese helps strengthen the tooth enamel and alleviate gum disease. While acidic food increases the acid content in the mouth causing enamel to erode and bacteria to set in, cheese, on the other hand, has a neutralizing effect with its alkaline content. It, therefore, is safe for teeth and gives them added nutrition by providing a protective coating.

Can You Get Healthy Teeth from Cheese?

It is a known fact that calcium is the main ingredient when it comes to cheese. Calcium is an essential mineral for the well-being of the teeth and bones. It provides that much needed calcium content that helps the teeth to grow and be strong. Cheese is good for the gums as well. It contains Vitamin D that helps reduce inflammation of the gums while keeping any form of periodontal disease at bay.
Dentists suggest that after consumption of cheese, one should let a fair amount of time elapse before brushing their teeth. The coating helps to harden the enamel while also adding on the necessary vitamins to it. With that said, one should also supplement the consumption of cheese with regular brushing and flossing that will help keep you in the pink of oral health.

Are There Healthy Energy Drinks?

Young or old, lean or big, irrespective of who you are, these days one is lured into consuming energy drinks. With the media going gung ho over super-duper effort to have you all energized and set for the day. Before you know it, you are addicted to the ‘energy drink’. Agreed, it energizes you for that period, but is it beneficial for you and your health in the long run? Is there such a thing as healthy energy drinks?

How does the energy drink work?

They work at increasing your energy by an extra rush of sugar and caffeine. Often the energy drinks are carbonated drinks and come high on sugar, caffeine, fructose based corn syrup, amino acid products and sometimes vitamins. Though sometimes the vitamins work well for you, the rest of the products are harmful in the long run. The sugar and the caffeine do not do well for your pressure and also add to the unwanted calories. These calories so contributed by the health drinks accumulate fat which the body finds it difficult to loose. On the other hand it has been said that these drinks also increases the urge to over consume more food than the body actually requires. The caffeine content is relatively high in these drinks, as makes your body dependent on the caffeine thereby affecting the nervous system.

There are healthier options to these supposed health drinks.

Drinks that contribute to your well-being and health:

  • Green Tea: Natural green tea is known to be energizing and loaded with antioxidants to cleanse your body.
  • Herbal drinks: Herbal drinks with natural extracts and with natural flavors keeps you feeling lighter and do not add to your body weight.
  • Fruit Juice: Fresh fruit juices contain the natural vitamins and minerals that are always good for the body. They contain the natural sugar which is easily broken down by the body. Mix veggies and fruits for the best effect.
  • Water: Last but not the least water is the best choice. Drink 8-10 glasses of water on a daily basis washes the toxins from your body, improves immunity and blood circulation.

So you have healthier choices to the energy drinks which provide the much required energy without adding unwanted stuff to your body.

Drink up Your Soft Drinks and Prevent Tooth Decay at the Same Time!

Drinking soft drinks have turned from an occasional treat into a daily habit for more and more people. And this heavy and steady consumption of soft drinks then leads to dental issues like tooth decay and cavity.
Sugar in drinks like soda and juice forms acid when combined with bacteria in your mouth, which damages not only the gum line but the teeth as well making them susceptible to tooth decay.
Though it is known that soda and juices can be harmful for our teeth, we can’t single them out to be THE cause of dental cavities. They may be unhealthy but if taken in moderation, soft drinks may actually do no harm whatsoever.
What if there are actual ways for you to still enjoy your iced-cold soda while maintaining a healthy teeth? Here’s how.

DO

  • Use a straw. It will help keep away sugar from your teeth.
  • Stay hydrated and drink lots and lots of water a day.
  • Enjoy your soft drinks in moderation. Don’t make it a habit. Reduce your soft drink intake to a minimum.
  • Brush and floss regularly to remove those icky syrups in your mouth.
  • Use a circular motion when brushing to prevent the tooth enamel from weakening
  • Dilute the sugar and acid in your mouth by flushing it with water right after drinking.
  • Stay away from any sweetened liquid right before bedtime.
  • Use a fluoride toothpaste to strengthen your tooth enamel and reduce the risk of cavities.
  • Let your dental hygienist apply fluoride on your teeth
  • Make sure you are consuming the right amount of sugar in a day. Read label.
  • Get regular dental check-ups and cleanings.

DON’T

  • Leave fluids in your mouth and prolong the exposure of tooth enamel to acids. Swish your mouth with water after consuming a soft drink.
  • Drink soda shortly before going to bed.
  • Brush immediately after a drink of soda. Wait for about a hour before doing so in order to keep further damage to a weaked enamel a minimum.

Remember: Moderation is key. So try limiting your intake of sugary substances. At the same time, continue to practice good oral hygiene, and visit your Scottsdale dentist regularly.

About The Author

Dr. Koch

Dr. Robert Koch

Dr. Robert Koch earned a Masters degree in Biomedical Science and Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Midwestern University. Dr. Koch’s patient-first approach to dentistry is rooted in education for both himself and his patients. Staying up to date with the latest advances in dentistry allows him to offer the best treatment plans for his patients. He aims to educate and inform patients in a comforting environment that allows patients to feel confident in the decision-making process of their treatment.