What type of foods should I avoid to maintain good dental health?

Plaque, a sticky film made of bacteria, aids tooth decay and gum disease. Following a meal or snack high in sugar, the bacteria emit acids that erode tooth enamel. Cavities can form as the enamel deteriorates. Various foods and drinks can contribute to plaque development, damaging your dental health. Moreover, cavities can result in pain, difficulty chewing, and tooth abscesses.

Furthermore, your plaque will harden into tartar if you don't brush or floss your teeth. Gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease, can be brought on by tartar above the gum line.

Well, now the question is, how can plaque be stopped from destroying your mouth? Try to limit or avoid the items listed below in addition to cleaning your teeth at least twice a day, flossing, and scheduling routine dental checkups.

Dental health and diet?

Your diet has an impact on how healthy your mouth is. So, what should you consume exactly? Consuming various nutrient-rich foods from all dietary groups can support oral health. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you should include the following foods in your diet for strong teeth and gums:

• Foods high in calcium, including almonds, tofu, low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverages, and dark leafy greens. Moreover, calcium-rich foods support the development of healthy teeth and bones.
• Eggs, fish, lean meat, dairy, nuts, and legumes all contain phosphorus, which aids in developing strong teeth.
• Citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, potatoes, and spinach all contain vitamin C, which supports healthy gums.

Foods to avoid

Limiting your intake of sweets and other more harmful than useful items is equally crucial while attempting to maintain optimal dental health through diet. The American Dental Association advises against overeating these nine items, which could harm your teeth:

Carbonated drinks

Sodas with carbonation cause plaque to produce more acid, which damages tooth enamel. Additionally, it dries out your mouth, which results in less saliva. In other words, if you drink soda all day, you coat your teeth in acid.

Finally, drinking dark sodas can discolor or stain your teeth. Therefore, avoid brushing your teeth right away after consuming soda. In fact, this might speed up degradation.

Sweets and sticky candies

Restricting your intake of sweets and sticky, hard candies is crucial when attempting to eat your way to excellent dental health. Who doesn't enjoy candy, I suppose? The issue is that these sticky, sugary treats can lead to tooth rot, chipping or breaking teeth, and other dental problems. Try choosing an alternative, such as sugar-free gum, which positively affects oral health, if you don't want to give up these enjoyable snacks.

Ice

After finishing their drinks, many individuals like crunching on ice. However, although being merely formed of water, ice's hardness can cause enamel damage or breakable teeth. To keep your teeth in good condition, chew ice to attempt to break the habit.

Coffee

Some people need their morning coffee to get going, but excessive coffee consumption might harm your dental health. Coffee drinkers may feel dry mouth and stained teeth in addition to the fact that most people don't consume their coffee straight and instead add a lot of sugar, which is terrible for us.

Alcohol

Many people may be aware that drinking alcohol isn't particularly healthy. However, did you know that drinking dries out your mouth? We require saliva to maintain healthy teeth, which are lacking in a dry mouth.

Saliva wipes away food residue and keeps food from sticking to your teeth. Even the early stages of gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral infections can be repaired with saliva. Drink a lot of water, and utilize fluoride rinses and oral hydration products to keep your mouth moisturized.

How to care for your dental health?

You now know which meals to prioritize and which to avoid, but if you haven't created a dental hygiene program, none of this will matter. Your daily oral hygiene regiment ought to include:

• Daily flossing
• Brushing for two minutes twice each day
• Mouthwash usage
• Visit your dentist for thorough cleaning and examination

Conclusion

Limiting or staying away from some meals and drinks is necessary for maintaining excellent dental health. Examples comprise alcoholic soda drinks, cereals with added sugar, and sour fruit-based ice pops. These foods and beverages may raise your chance of developing oral cancer, cavities, gum disease, and even broken or chipped teeth.

Avoid or limit your consumption of the foods and beverages mentioned above to preserve excellent oral health and safeguard your teeth. Instead, think about eating a diet high in nourishing whole foods.

Contact your Walnut Creek dentist, Massood Darvishzadeh, DDS at Dental Implant Solutions, to know how we can have good dental health.

This media/content or any other on this website does not prescribe, recommend, or prevent any treatment or procedure. Therefore, we highly recommend that you get the advice of a qualified dentist or other medical practitioners regarding your specific dental condition.