Overview: While the dentist can help fix your teeth, you are in charge of making sure they don’t need fixing in the first place! In this blog you find out five foods that you should be eating to help make your teeth stronger and your oral health better.
It’s not just the dentist who is in charge of keeping your teeth in good shape – you are too! Like working out and getting enough sleep, maintaining your dental health is an integral part of your well-being. While a large part of this involves brushing your teeth and flossing regularly, eating the right foods can have a huge impact on your dental health. Here are five foods that you should be eating to make your teeth stronger and healthier:
1. Milk
Many know of milk’s bone strengthening properties, but it can also do wonders for your teeth. The key ingredient here is calcium, which helps keep your jaw bone healthy and protects your mouth from gum disease too. Drinking foods that are high in calcium, like milk, is especially important for women as studies have shown that without enough calcium in their diet, women are more at risk of developing gum disease. If you worried about the high fat content of milk, then you can just drink 1% instead! It has all the calcium, just without the extra fat.
2. Fish
Fatty fish like Atlantic mackerel and wild salmon are a great source of vitamin D, a vitamin that is plays a crucial part in your oral health and one that is hard to find a good source of. What does vitamin D do? Vitamin D allows your body to absorb and utilize calcium, a nutrient that helps maintain a healthy jaw and prevent gum disease. So if you want all the milk you’re now drinking to make a difference, then you better make sure that you’re getting enough vitamin D!
3. Oranges
You may be surprised to find out that citrus fruits like oranges can actually help keep your teeth healthy! While their natural sugar content can be harmful if you eat too many (more than around six a day) the high vitamin C content can strengthen blood vessels and connective tissue such as that which keeps your teeth in place. Not only that, but the high vitamin C content can help to either eliminate or slow the onset of gingivitis (gum inflammation), so if citrus fruit is not already a staple in your household, then make it one!
4. Strawberries
More fruit! And yes, you’ve guessed it… more vitamin C! Like citrus fruits, strawberries are also bursting with this important vitamin that is necessary for the production of collagen, a protein that is integral part of achieving healthy gums. Just eating half a cup of strawberries give you a dose of 70% of your daily vitamin C intake! The best part? Strawberries have nearly half the sugar content of oranges! That means you can worry slightly less about those cavities!
5. Water
The simplest of ways you can positively impact the health of your teeth is by make sure you drink enough water. Water makes up 95% of saliva, and saliva is your best defense against decay and cavities, so by making sure you drink enough water you can make sure your saliva can do its job. Drinking enough water is also important for your whole body’s health and by replacing sugary drinks with good old H2O you’ll also reduce your exposure to common causes of tooth decay. So, why not save money and reduce your chance of tooth decay by drinking water!
Bottom line:
Nothing can replace the importance of going to the dentist regularly, but by eating certain foods more than others you can certainly impact the health of your teeth in a positive way. Foods like fatty fish, milk, certain fruits, and plain old water can be easy ways to improve the health of your teeth in between dental visits. The benefits of eating more of these foods won’t just benefit your teeth either – the rest of your body will feel better too!
