Easy Nutrition Tips to Keep Your Teeth and Your Body in Top Shape

Eat Healthy. Smile Happy.

When life gets busy, it’s easy to eat less than healthy. But did you know there’s actually some truth to the old saying, “you are what you eat.” Your smile health is directly affected by the foods you eat and directly connected to what’s going on in the rest of your body too. Even if you’re careful and keep up with your checkups and cleanings at our Northcutt Dental offices in Hoover, Helena, Fairhope, Cottage Hill, Bay Minette, and Semmes, you can still experience issues due to poor nutrition.

We here to give you some helpful tips on how to stay healthy thanks to some recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines.

Quick Tips For Outstanding Oral and Overall Health

• Sugary, acidic, and sticky sweets are bad for you and your teeth, so try to avoid them when possible. If you do eat foods that are highly acidic, wait at least 30 minutes to brush.
• Did you know that carbohydrate-rich foods like bread or  pasta can be just as harmful to your teeth as sugar because they also promote acid-causing bacteria? Unfortunately, this is too true to ignore. Combine them with other foods like cheese to help neutralize nasty acids.
• Fresh, unprocessed foods are the way to go! In other words, if you want a snack between meals, try something like crisp and fresh raw veggies or crunchy fruit.
• You probably know that soda is so bad for you and your teeth. Try tea instead! Even sugar-free diet soda contains acid that can cause tooth erosion, while the compounds in black tea can kill the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.
• Add more Xylitol-based gum and mints to your routine. Chewing Xylitol gum after meals not only freshens your breath, it  actually helps prevent the formation of cavities!
• Be sure you are getting your vitamins:
  • Vitamin C promotes healthy gums and quick healing of wounds. Make sure you are getting enough by eating more  things like peppers,  oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, and kiwi.
  • The calcium in dairy and other foods such as beans protects and rebuilds tooth enamel and protects your jawbone, so add more milk, cheese, or yogurt to your diet.  Dairy products also seem to lessen the occurrence of tooth decay and gum disease.  
  • To ensure that your body is  absorbing calcium, don’t forget your vitamin D.
  • Foods containing  phosphorus, and vitamins A & B can also protect your enamel so add some fish, milk, sweet potatoes, liver, and spinach to your everyday diet.
• Garlic, apples, grapes, shiitake mushrooms, cocoa, and nutmeg are all foods that combat cavity-causing bacteria, bad breath, and gum disease. These foods contain compounds that can also prevent cavity-causing bacteria from sticking to teeth.
• Surprisingly, studies show that eating several sweet treats at once is better for your teeth than savoring just a little for hours. Try eating your treats only once a day to limit the time sugar or acids are left on your teeth.

No matter what you eat or drink, it’s always important to remember to brush and floss regularly. Don’t rush the brush either. A solid two minutes of tooth time is just what the doctor ordered.

Questions about your oral and overall health connection? Please don’t hesitate to contact your Northcutt Dental office and let us know how we can help you have a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime!