Have you committed to taking better care of your smile, this year? After all, it is one of your most important physical attributes! If so, you may have already added flossing to your daily routine, and visited the dentist for an overdue preventive cleaning. These are great steps in protecting one’s smile against threats like cavities and even gingivitis. But have you taken a look at what you are eating and drinking on a regular basis, and considered how that could be impacting your oral health? Your diet plays a major role in your overall wellbeing, and especially your oral health. So if you really want to make sure your teeth and gums stay healthy, it is important to be giving them the nutrients they need, and avoiding the stuff they don’t.
What Does a Healthy Diet Require?
The teeth and gums need nutrients just like the rest of the body. So to eat for better oral health, try to stick to a well-balanced diet.
- This should include lots of vegetables and fruits, plus lean sources of protein, and healthy fats. Dairy products can also be helpful suppliers of vitamins and minerals, like tooth-healthy calcium.
- Drinking lots of water can be helpful, as well, both because the smile needs water to function properly, and because it is a much healthier alternative to sugary drinks like sodas, sweetened teas and coffees, and even many juices.
- Avoiding sugar is actually one of the best ways to preserve your oral health, because the bacteria in your mouth feed on sugars. The more sugar you consume, then, the more likely you are to struggle with dental caries (cavities) that are likely to require dental fillings.
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