A General Dentist Answers: Does Your Diet Affect Your Teeth?

Have you ever spoken to your General Dentist about how your diet impacts teeth? It turns out it affects them quite a lot. According to the American Dental Association, the foods you choose and how often you eat them can affect your general health and the health of your teeth and gums, too. If you consume too many sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks or non-nutritious snacks, you could be at risk for tooth decay.

Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, but the good news is that it is entirely preventable.

Healthy foods for your teeth

Here are some examples of food that are great (or at least neutral) for your teeth. Notice that most of them are not overly processed and contain very little amounts of sugar.

Fruits

This includes lemons or limes, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, kiwis, grapefruit, avocados or watermelon. Other fruits which contain a lot of sugar can have a negative impact on your teeth.

Lean proteins

These include lean beef, skinless poultry, fish, dry beans, peas and other legumes. Unlike sugars, proteins are complex and large molecules that are not an easy source of food for the bacteria living in your mouth. The bacteria can process this food but with much more difficulty, and so they will grow more slowly.

Dairy

If you are eating or drinking dairy, make sure it is low in fat. Dairy does contain lactose, which is a simple sugar that bacteria like, so it is best to limit your dairy intake.

Vegetables

Vegetables have all of their sugar locked into large molecules called cellulose and starch. Our bodies are equipped to digest these kinds of molecules, but bacteria cannot do so easily. They must expend much more energy for digestion and so they cannot grow as fast.

Water

Now here is a "food" that contains no sugar. There are many reasons to drink a lot of water, and one of them is it will not help the bacteria in your mouth grow and it is great for quenching thirst.

Whole grains

Whole, unprocessed grains have more nutrients and vitamins than wheat that has been bleached. White and bleached flours have mostly been reduced to easy-to-digest sugary components, and so it is a great source of food for bacteria.

Special diets

If you are on a special or unique diet (like those with diabetes), then it is best to work with both your general dentist and physician to determine the healthiest course of action for you. Not everyone can eat the same way, and so make sure to be open with your healthcare team about any changes you are making.

What else can I do?

As always, it is important to brush and floss daily and to visit your general dentist at least twice per year. Maintaining a healthy diet can be just as important because eating is an activity most people do every day. Staying conscious and alert of your eating will help ensure healthy teeth for years to come.

Request an appointment here: https://hemetdentalcenter.com or call Hemet Dental Center: Brian Stiewel DDS, INC. at (951) 707-4366 for an appointment in our Hemet office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: General Dentist.

Recent Posts

Preventative Dental Care - Important Oral Hygiene Instruction Tips

Preventative dental care is one of the most important ways to take care of your teeth and gums.Having a healthy smile can give you more than a great first impression. Taking care of your teeth is important in maintaining your overall body health as well. If you don’t take proper care of your teeth, you…

What Is Endodontics? A Guide To Saving Teeth From The Inside Out

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry dedicated to saving teeth by treating problems inside the tooth. It focuses on the health of the tooth's pulp and roots, essential to your smile's overall strength and function. Endodontics could be the key to relieving discomfort and preserving your natural teeth if you are experiencing tooth pain or…

Preventative Dental Care To Prevent Tooth Decay

The most effective way to prevent tooth decay is with preventative dental care. Everyone wants to maintain a healthy white smile for a lifetime. Your smile is your first impression and a great way to show confidence. Keeping that smile can be very easy if you follow a few easy steps.Tooth decay causes gum disease,…

Preventative Dental Care Against Gum Disease

Your teeth and gums are crucial to your overall preventative dental care. Gum disease is a severe dental problem that can lead to more than just tooth decay. If left unchecked, gum disease will eventually spread to other organs in the body and cause severe damage.Fortunately, there are many ways you can prevent gum disease…

Hemet Dental Center: Brian Stiewel DDS, INC.

Share
Published by
Hemet Dental Center: Brian Stiewel DDS, INC.

Recent Posts

Preventative Dental Care – Important Oral Hygiene Instruction Tips

Preventative dental care is one of the most important ways to take care of your…

3 days ago

What Is Endodontics? A Guide To Saving Teeth From the Inside Out

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry dedicated to saving teeth by treating problems inside the…

4 days ago

Preventative Dental Care to Prevent Tooth Decay

The most effective way to prevent tooth decay is with preventative dental care. Everyone wants…

5 days ago

Preventative Dental Care Against Gum Disease

Your teeth and gums are crucial to your overall preventative dental care. Gum disease is…

1 week ago

Dental Bonding: A Simple Solution for Repairing and Enhancing Your Smile

Dental bonding offers a simple yet effective solution for repairing and enhancing your smile.

2 weeks ago

Why These Preventative Dental Care Habits are so Important

Preventative dental care is significant because the dentist can quickly detect, diagnose, and treat dental…

2 weeks ago