We at Smile House Dental Practice want all of our patients to feel they can make good, informed choices when it comes to their oral hygiene and overall health. So our dentist in Sutton has been looking into ways we can help and has put together a little starter kit on what foods are good for your teeth.
Looking after your teeth is’t really that complicated, but the practice of daily cleaning with diligence can sometimes fall to the bottom of our to-do list and with us all leading such busy lives it’s very understandable. That being said prevention is better than cure and employing a holistic style of care that combines cleaning with a healthy diet means you’re protecting your pearly whites from future issues. If you’re worried about your oral hygiene then speak to our dentist in Sutton for more information.
How much does what we eat impact our teeth?
Eating processed sugary, acidic foods will of course, over time, begin to impact our teeth. These things wear down our enamel and eat away at our healthy gums. Whole grain, low-sugar foods like cereals, veggies and fruit and proteins are what’s best for our oral health. Veggies and fruits are particularly good as they take a little more chewing and contain water which helps us to produce saliva and it’s saliva that helps remove any food debris from our mouths after eating.
Dairy
Dairy is a tricky one when it comes to our bodies. For lots of people it’s a food group that sets their tummy off into cramps and so we understand incorporating it into your diet isn’t for everyone. That being said, these dairy products are super high in calcium and protein which are really important to strengthen your teeth. If you are someone who’s avoiding dairy it could be worth investing in a daily calcium supplement to keep your intake high.
Greens
According to our dentist in Sutton veggies should be an absolute staple in your diet - they provide the body with so many important vitamins and minerals and also help the mouth produce the saliva needed to keep your mouth clean throughout the day. Leafy greens such as kale, cabbage, and spinach are super high in folic acid, calcium and B vitamins which are all great for keeping you healthy.
Snacks
Snacking is habitual, we all do it and we British are some of the worst in Europe for snacking between meals. Unfortunately most of the snacks we’ve grown to know and love are highly processed and full of sugar. Sugar decreases the body’s saliva abilities and causes damage to the tooth’s enamel layer. Plus bacteria also live off sugar so any harmful bacteria living in your mouth will be living and multiplying off the sugar foods you ingest.
Now, we at Smile House don’t want our patients to live without their favourite chocolate bar or packet of crisp because lives are too short! But we would ask that you assess how often you opt for these as your daily snack and try and reduce the number down.