Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

Oral Health Tips: Watch What You Eat

16 March 2016 by Lonnie Bryant

With proper oral hygiene, you will have healthy gums and teeth, and hopefully avoid issues like decay, plaque, and gum infections. However, brushing and flossing your teeth isn't always enough. You also need to be careful what you eat and drink.

Avoid Drinks With a High Sugar Content

One of the worst things you can do for your teeth is drink a lot of beverages that have a high sugar content. While it may seem like fruit juice is good for your health, it contains a lot of sugar, which may sit on your teeth and lead to decay. Sugary drinks that also have a high acidic content, like lemonade and grapefruit juice, are the worst ones for your dental health. Also reduce how much coffee and tea you drink that has added sugar in it. Energy drinks and sports drinks may also contain too much sugar, which causes your enamel to break down and leads to acids that cause decay on your teeth. If you want to have these drinks on occasion, drink a glass of water afterward to rinse away the sugar and acid. The best drinks to have are plain water and milk. It is also a good idea to use a straw with the sugary and acidic drinks, since it helps most of the liquid to bypass your teeth.

Avoid Sugary and Acid-Rich Foods

There are also a lot of foods that contain too much acid and sugar, and therefore can be very damaging to your teeth. This includes foods like cookies, candy, and cakes. You also need to be careful about gum and mints, making sure you choose the sugar-free version. Acidic foods like citrus fruits can be hard on the enamel of your teeth, so it is best to reduce how often you eat them. When eating these foods, drink a lot of water along with them to rinse your teeth and gums as you eat.

Eat Healthy Foods

Eating a wide range of healthy foods can do great things for your entire body, including your mouth, teeth and gums. When choosing fruits and vegetables, avoid citrus fruits, but have plenty of apples, bananas, dark leafy greens, and root vegetables. Have your fill of dairy products, going for low-fat as they tend to have less sugar. It is also good to follow other basic dietary suggestions, such as having plenty of nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean protein in your diet. Beans and legumes are good for you, are not too harsh for your teeth, and provide you with excellent protein.

For more oral health tips, contact a dentist in your area.

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