Brushing and flossing are vital habits for taking care of your oral health, but that’s not all you can do to ensure your teeth and gums are clean and healthy. Your diet is also an important element of oral health. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 5 foods to eat for good oral health.
1. Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Fiber
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), fiber-rich foods can help to clean your teeth and gums. What’s more, these kinds of foods also stimulate the production of saliva. That makes foods that are full of fiber — such as apples, bananas, and beans — one of the best natural defenses against both cavities and gum disease.
Saliva is helpful for oral health because it contains traces of calcium and phosphate which both restore some minerals to areas of your teeth that have been affected by bacterial acids. Saliva also reduces the enzymes that attack teeth.
2. Dairy Products Promote Good Oral Health
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and plain yogurt are also very good for your oral health. Cheese stimulates saliva production, and the calcium and phosphates found in all dairy products replace lost minerals in your teeth. Additionally, these types of foods help to rebuild your tooth enamel.
3. Green and Black Teas
Green and black teas have substances known as polyphenols that help to kill or reduce plaque bacteria. That helps to keep the bacteria from growing in your mouth or producing acids that can attack your teeth. Additionally, it’s possible the water source in your house has fluoride which helps prevent tooth decay.
4. Foods with Fluoride are Good for Oral Health
Speaking of fluoride, there are also some foods that contain fluoride as well. These include certain commercially prepared foods like poultry products, seafood, and some powdered cereals. Moreover, if your water has fluoride, then any kind of powdered juices you would make with that water would also contain fluoride. Of course, if the powdered juice has a lot of sugar, that’s not good for your oral health.
5. Sugarless Chewing Gum
Sugarless chewing gum is another food that helps clean your teeth and gums, and it also stimulates saliva production. When you chew gum, it mechanically cleans food particles and plaque from around your teeth. Once again, it’s important that gum be sugarless, as sugar is not good for your oral health.
Final Thoughts
As with your overall health, there are several ways to promote good oral health. Of course, you want to brush your teeth twice a day for a minimum of two minutes each time, and you need to floss your teeth every day as well. But it’s also important to practice good nutrition to help clean your teeth and produce saliva. Saliva reduces the acids and enzymes that help to promote tooth decay and gum disease.
If you have any questions about taking good care of your oral health, give the office of Dr. Barry Buchanan a call today. We’re happy to answer all of your questions and help you take care of your teeth and gums.
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