A Healthy Diet Means Healthy Teeth and Gums
It may seem obvious that maintaining a healthy diet is key to maintaining oral health but sometimes it's not always clear what you need to avoid in order to maintain a healthy diet.
Online, June 11, 2013 (Newswire.com) - At his White Plains Office Eric Echelman, DDS often finds himself discussing the importance of good eating habits when it comes to oral health. It seem obvious that eating right will help to ensure better oral health, but what isn't obvious is how diligent we have to be sometimes in our choice of foods.
There are obvious options to avoid, of course, sweets, candies, pastries, cookies, and soft drinks are well known sources of sugar and empty calories, but there other culprits and it pays to pay attention to food labels. Check food labels for anything ending in "ose" those are often sugars like glucose, sucrose, and fructose. These are used to sweeten food but can be hazardous to your dental health.
Tooth decay occurs when foods containing sugars and starches are frequently left on the teeth to form plaque, the sticky film of bacteria on your teeth that you can feel with your tongue. Plaque breaks down tooth enamel and causes cavities and gum disease unless it is removed with regular brushing and flossing. It's important to keep in mind that plaque, gum disease, and other oral health problems are cumulative in nature. Preventing them takes daily dental care vigilance and slacking can allow them to build and worsen.
So, the solution to tooth decay starts with diet. Limit the amount of potentially decay-causing foods as mentioned above. Try to stick to drinking mostly water, a hydrated mouth promotes saliva, which protects oral tissues, but sugary drinks can undermine the benefits.
It's particularly important when you have children to instill in them good habits when it comes to their diet. It can be difficult as when it is most necessary to build these habits they are more inclined towards the sugary snacks and fast food that is likely to damage their oral health but it the long term they'll benefit from making a habit of consuming healthier snacks. They may protest the fresh fruits and veggies you offer as snacks instead of the popular candies and treats but you'll all reap the benefits of health teeth with some vigilance.
Of course, on top of keeping an eye on what you eat it's important to maintain good dental care habits with twice daily brushing with toothpaste and once a day flossing, and don't forget to schedule regular appointments for dental cleanings. For more information about your diet and its link to oral health visit us at Asnis & Echelman.
