You Know Poor Nutrition Can Affect Your Teeth

You brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, but how much thought do you put into specific foods that go into your mouth? Certain foods can help you to keep your teeth strong and healthy and others that can destroy and erode them. Poor nutrition can affect your oral health in many ways. Read on to learn more about how poor nutrition can affect your oral health.

Highly Acidic Foods

When it comes to your oral health, highly acidic foods could be very dangerous. Acids can erode your teeth enamel resulting in cavities and tooth decay. A weakened tooth enamel can also lead to various dental problems such as discolouration and teeth sensitivity. Examples of highly acidic foods include pickles, lemons, tomatoes, coffee and alcohol.

Foods That Destroy Your Teeth

Foods High in Sugar

We are all aware that sugar is not good for our oral health. This is because bad bacteria in our mouth feed on the sugars to create acids that cause teeth cavities. It is almost impossible to eradicate all sugars from our diet,but it is vital to try and minimisesugar intake as much as possible. It is also important to not let sugar stay in our mouths for long. Therefore, brushing your teeth after every meal or taking a lot of water is important. Examples of foods that are high in sugar include soft drinks, candies, dried fruits, desserts, jams, sugar and cereal.

Starchy Foods and Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates are fairly avoided for many health problems they pose. Refined carbohydrates turn into sugars immediately they are consumed. This promotes thefast production of acids by bad bacteria. Many starchy foods such as potato chips, pasta and white bread can easily stick between your teeth and in cracks. While you may not consider such foods to be as risky as sugar.It is crucial to keep in mind that starches start converting to sugars almost immediately in the mouth through the enzymes present in saliva.

Sticky Foods

Sticky foods tend to stick to your teeth for a longer time, so they are more likely to cause dental problems. It is important to brush and floss your teeth immediately after taking such foods and not to leave them to linger in your mouth for long. An example of chewy foods includes candies.

Very Hard Foods That You Chew On

Tooth enamel is very hard. In fact, it is the toughest part of your body. However, it cannot withstand that pressure that comes from you chewing hard foods regularly. It is essential to know that if something is too tough, it is not supposed to be chewed. Some people have a habit of chewing things such as popcorns that are not pop, hard candy and ice. Most of the times your teeth will handle the task but this can cause damage to your enamel,and there’s a risk of fracturing your teeth. Therefore, do yourself a favour and avoid chewing on hard foods.

What to Eat

• Eat whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat bread and oatmeal instead of refined grains.
• Eat plenty of non-acidic fruits, raw vegetables and nuts to protect you from bad breath.
• Vitamin D and calcium-rich foods to strengthen your teeth and bones and also prevent tooth decay.
• Foods rich in vitamin C to prevent bacterial infection.

Bottom Line

A well-balanced diet helps in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Brush and floss on a daily basis drink lots of water and visit the dentist regularly. Carrum Downs Dental Clinic is happy to help and ensure that you get the right advice on proper nutrition that will ensure you have good oral health. Call us today to schedule your appointment.