Best Diet For Healthier Teeth – Consume Or Avoid?

Our diet has a major effect on our oral health. Today we look at foods and drinks that can impact both negatively and positively.

For the majority of people, what we eat and drink will depend on our own personal preferences. We may be aware of some health issues associated with consumption of certain substances, such as salt for example, and we may make an effort to cut down on those, or increase if it has benefits. By and large though, in the west, most of us are fortunate enough to be able to indulge our taste buds within reason.

What we eat and drink has an impact on our teeth and gums, and indeed, some foods and drinks are best avoided altogether. We know that it is unlikely that our Epsom patients will check the ingredients of everything that they buy, but a good overall awareness can at least give us an overview and may cause us to put some things back on the shelf rather than in our baskets. This way we can certainly avoid some potential problems for our teeth.

In today’s blog the team at Clocktower Dental, your local Epsom dentist, picks out the good, the bad and the ugly of products that should and shouldn’t go into your shopping basket if you want to help maintain a healthy mouth.

Drinks

Beneficial Drinks

Water – Essential to avoid a dry mouth and to also help flush away food debris and bacteria from the mouth that might otherwise lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

Milk – Contains calcium and other minerals that are essential for healthy teeth. If you follow a vegan diet, make sure to buy non dairy milk that is fortified with calcium or ensure its intake from another source. Remember that milk does contain natural sugars too so good quality brushing is essential

Black and green teas – These contain elements that help to reduce bacteria and acid in the mouth and also helps to reduce plaque. These are best drunk without sugar or honey if possible.

Potentially harmful drinks

Sugary drinks – Unfortunately the list is long here, but most carbonated soft drinks contain not only high levels of sugar but are often highly acidic too. This can lead to problems with tooth decay and enamel erosion.

Tea and coffee – While any type of regular tea or coffee will contribute to stained teeth, the real problem lies in the ‘speciality’ versions that can be bought at cafes and increasingly, in shops too. These can contain extremely high levels of sugar so are best avoided as much as you can, even if it means reverting to regular versions of these drinks.

Fruit juice – Fruit is good for you generally and provides fibre and vitamins, but you should also remember that they naturally contain fructose. While this is an entirely naturally occurring sugar, it is just as damaging to your teeth as refined sugar so consume fruit juice wisely and make sure to brush and floss your teeth well.

Foods

Beneficial foods

Cheese – Cheese is an excellent product for your teeth. Not only does it contribute to their health through essential minerals such as calcium, but is also very beneficial when eaten after a meal as it helps to reduce the acid levels in the mouth which can cause damage to the tooth enamel.

Leafy greens – Like cheese, these contain useful quantities of calcium, but also provide folic acid which is beneficial for your gums too. Older patients will probably remember being told to ‘eat your greens’, and excellent advice it was too.

Crunchy fruit and vegetables – Not only do many of these provide essential nutrients but they also help to remove plaque and other food particles. They are also very good for improving saliva flow which is beneficial for good oral health. Finally, they also provide an alternative to chocolate snacks for those moments when you just ‘fancy a little something’.

Potentially harmful foods

High sugar foods – This is probably obvious, but any products, such as cakes and biscuits, will nearly always contain high levels of sugar. They are also likely to stick to your teeth and around the gum line, adding to the potential damage that they can do.

Sticky foods – While the above falls into this category, it can also include things like dried fruits or barbeque sauces. Anything that hangs around on your teeth for a long time is generally not a good idea. We are not saying never to use these, but it is best to be aware of the problem so that you can avoid it when possible.

Starchy foods – This includes products such as white bread and crisps (or chips if anyone from America is reading this blog!). These can get stuck between the teeth and will break down into sugars, which, as we know, is very harmful for our teeth.

We hope that you will at least bear these food groups in mind next time you head to the Epsom high street to do your shopping. A healthier and tooth friendly diet will be beneficial for your teeth and gums and most likely your general health too.

If you require any oral health advice or would like to book an appointment for either a routine problem or to find out about our cosmetic dental treatments, please call the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre today and speak to one of our friendly receptionists on 01372 720136.