When we think about dental hygiene, we tend to focus on brushing and flossing. But we often forget that the food we eat can also affect our oral health. When it comes to oral health, what you consume directly impacts your teeth and gums.
There are so many different foods out there, so it can be challenging to understand which ones will be beneficial and keep your mouth healthy. In this blog post, we’re guiding you through a few foods that can be beneficial for your oral health and how you can incorporate them into your everyday diet, helping you feel great inside and out.
Let’s have a look at the range of foods you can include to keep your mouth happy.
Fruits
Did you know that fruits are loaded with enzymes and vitamins that are great for oral health? They’re one of the most accessible foods to incorporate into your diet, making the process that bit easier.
Apples or other crisp fruits
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but did you know that it also keeps the dentist at bay? Apples contain about 15% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, which is essential for keeping your teeth strong.
Eating apples or other hard, fibrous fruits can help clean your teeth and increase salivation, which can neutralize the citric and malic acids left behind in your mouth and gently remove plaque.
Strawberries
As mentioned, vitamin C is a nutrient we need a lot of in our diet to maintain the best oral health. Collagen in the dentin of teeth depends on vitamin C to maintain its strength and structure through synthesis. Try incorporating strawberries as a snack throughout the day or get your boost first thing in the morning by having some on your porridge.
Strawberries also naturally whiten teeth as they contain the tooth-whitening enzyme of malic acid. (At Mola Dental, we also offer safe whitening treatments that will help you get your teeth whiter faster)
Eating these fruits will contribute to a fresher breath and cleaner teeth, as they help break down plaque build-up.
Vegetables
Vegetables are great for our heart, skin, and every other part of our body, but did you know that some vegetables are particularly good for your mouth…?
Broccoli & Celery
Vitamins C and K are essential for bone health and are natural teeth cleaners. Vitamin C helps to protect gums and other tissues from cell damage and bacterial infection. This vitamin is found in broccoli and celery in an even higher dose. Try eating broccoli alongside your evening meal as a side dish, or eat celery raw with a dash of peanut butter for a sweet snack.
Carrots
Using your mouth to chew raw carrots and other fibrous and hard vegetables stimulates the gums and helps to generate mouth-cleansing saliva. The thick texture of carrots allows you to chew more aggressively than you usually would, allowing the plaque on your teeth to break apart naturally.
Carrots are also a great vegetable to help you get a strong jaw. I know what you’re thinking…why is that important? Well, if you have a strong jaw, your bones are stronger, and your teeth are less likely to be damaged as easily.
Nuts
Almonds & Walnuts
These two nuts are the highest in calcium, which keeps your teeth strong.
If you eat 12-15 almonds, this will get you 40-50 mg of calcium, helping keep your teeth and gums healthy. As far as snacks go, they’re also low in sugar, meaning less damage to your teeth than a chocolate bar, as well as removing plaque as you chew instead of coating your teeth in sugar. Grab a handful of nuts as a high-protein snack or use them in homemade granola.
Cashews
This delicious buttery nut is great for your health in many ways and has now been proven to be great for your oral hygiene. With cashew nuts being larger than most other nuts, they require extra chewing, which helps you increase the saliva in your mouth. Saliva washes away bacteria, helping to prevent cavities. Cashews have a lower fat content than other nuts and a higher return on vitamins and minerals per fat gram. Great for your health inside and out!
We think it’s also worth mentioning that tea and coffee have antioxidants that combat cell damage and their effects on reducing inflammation. A cup of tea or coffee typically contains more than 100 mg of polyphenols (Polyphenols are plant secondary metabolites containing antioxidant properties). One cup of either of these drinks will do you good but remember that coffee can also have a staining effect on your teeth, so sticking to fruits and vegetables is your best option to keep your mouth as healthy as it can be.
Don’t forget that balance is key when it comes to your diet. Try to include more healthy snacks as these will make you feel better and improve your oral health. A top priority should also be to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water as saliva contains around 99.5% water and becoming dehydrated means it’s harder for your saliva to clean at its best.
To read more about ways to keep your mouth healthy, read our previous blog post here.
Alternatively, if you have any questions about keeping your oral health its most healthy, contact the surgery on 0114 317 7002, and a member of our friendly team will be able to talk you through this.
