The Top Foods and Supplements for a Healthy Smile
Your dental health care regimen of daily brushing, flossing, and regular professional cleanings and exams by your dentist are all key in ensuring the maintenance of healthy teeth and gums. But did you know that your dietary habits can also play a core role in maintaining dental health?
Most people know that excessive sugar, as consumed in soft drinks and candy can be damaging to tooth enamel and may lead to cavities, but there are also food types and ingredients that can enhance your dental health. In fact, your Marco Island, Florida dental professionals at Island Tower Dentistry may ask about your dietary habits to gain a better understanding of factors influencing your dental health. Your dentist will be impressed if your diet includes robust amounts of the following food types and includes healthy doses of the mentioned vitamins and minerals.
Healthy Foods for Oral Health
High-Fiber Fruits and Vegetables—Not only does the fiber in food act as a cleanser against the teeth and gums they grind against, but they also stimulate saliva flow, which is one of your body’s best natural tools for keeping teeth and gums healthy. Your saliva naturally works to break down the acids, enzymes, and bacteria from food that cause tooth decay and spur the inflammation of gum disease. Saliva also contains trace amounts of calcium and phosphate that can be used to help restore the mineral composition of your teeth and rebuild lost enamel.
Dairy Products—Speaking of calcium and phosphates, you receive plenty of them in dairy products. So, eating plenty of dairy products ensures that your body has the materials with which to replace mineral and enamel loss in the teeth. By eating cheese, you receive a bonus in that cheese also promotes saliva production.
Black and Green Teas—Both of these tea varieties contain powerful polyphenols that kill or ward off bacteria that produces teeth-attacking acids and influences the development of dental plaque. However, be sure to drink in moderation to better avoid potential staining of your teeth.
Fluoridated Water and Food—If your water comes from a public system there is a good chance it is fluoridated. If not, then you might be missing out on a key mineral that helps re-mineralize your tooth enamel and fight off tooth decay. To find fluoridated food items, check out the ingredients of commercially prepared dehydrated soups, powdered juices, poultry products, seafood, and powdered seafood. Also, make sure you use a fluoridated toothpaste.
Sugarless Chewing Gum—“Sugarless” being the key word here, this type of gum can help remove food particles, clean the teeth, and boost saliva production.
Vitamins and Minerals for Good Oral Health
Calcium—We mentioned the importance of this one above, but we’ll restate that it is a key mineral that helps strengthen your enamel. Along with dairy products, broccoli and some fish serve as good sources for calcium.
Potassium—This mineral works to enhance bone and tooth enamel mineral density and helps them retain their calcium levels. Bananas are the most well-known source for potassium, but the mineral can also be found in a number of other fruits and vegetables, such as legumes, sweet potatoes, prunes, and avocados.
Vitamin D—Yes, we’re going to mention calcium again, because it is key to tooth and bone health. And Vitamin D is instrumental in helping the body absorb and utilize calcium for bone mineral density. Your body makes Vitamin D through sunlight exposure, but the vitamin can also be found in a variety of fortified food items, especially milk.
Vitamin C—Everyone knows that vitamin C is healthy and that it is abundant in citrus fruits, but did you know that it strengthens gum tissue and helps protect again the early stages of gum disease?
Vitamin A—Among other things, this vitamin helps maintain your saliva production and aids in healing throughout the body, including the repair of any damage around the mouth. You can find this vitamin in leafy vegetables, orange-colored vegetables and fruits, and in fish, eggs, and liver.
Vitamin K—Found in leafy greens, broccoli and Brussel sprouts, this vitamin is crucial to the maintenance of bone protection and strength.
Learn More About Oral Health-Friendly Foods from Island Tower Dentistry!
If you want to learn more about connection between diet and oral health, the dental-care experts at Island Tower Dentistry would be glad to share their knowledge with you in person, or otherwise tend to your dental care needs. To learn more about how the Island Tower team works to deliver the best in oral health, contact us today at 239-394-1004 to make an appointment!