5 Foods to Eat That Improve Your Dental Health

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There is nothing more important to a person’s first impression than their smile. Teeth are a lot more important than people realize. They can make a big difference in regards to the kind of quality of life a person lives in addition to their ability to socialize. Saving your teeth past adulthood requires taking action before it’s too late. Part of this should be eating the right foods to improve your dental health. Below are five such examples.

1. Fatty Fish

You may not think of fish when you think of tooth health. However, there is actually a direct connection between eating certain kinds of fish and a healthy set of teeth. For one, you should be eating “fatty” fish. While this doesn’t sound like a very pleasant term, it refers to fish that contain healthy fats for you like omega 3 fats. This includes fish such as tuna, salmon, trout, sardines, and mackerel. This can be contrasted against the animal meat that contains “saturated” fat that is not good for you in general. Omega 3 fats have been linked to the prevention of gum disease. More of this healthy fat can prevent inflammation and bleeding for those that floss. Fatty fish also tend to contain Vitamin D. This vitamin helps provide calcium to your teeth and keep your enamel strong. Tuna, salmon, trout, and mackerel are all rich in Vitamin D.

2. Citrus Fruits

It is true that citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit contain things that are not good for your teeth like sugar and acids. However, the risk from consuming these is eclipsed by the benefit you get from ingesting your daily allotted amount of Vitamin C every day. Vitamin C has been shown to have the ability to strengthen the health of the tissues and blood vessels located inside the mouth. As such, enough Vitamin C can prevent inflammation of the gums and help prevent gum disease as a result. To combat the sugar and acid contained in fruit, just make sure to brush immediately after eating fruit or drinking juice.

3. Dairy

Calcium is of course a very important component to maintaining healthy teeth as well as the bones in your mouth. Dairy is a natural source of calcium you should integrate into your diet unless you are lactose intolerant. There are other benefits as well. If you are going through treatments such as clear aligner teeth straightening, you may experience some sensitivity in your mouth while eating or drinking cold dairy products. Thankfully, there are plenty of great dairy foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh mozzarella, chocolate milk and more you can eat that will not affect your sensitive teeth. In addition to calcium, many of these foods also contain Vitamin D and Vitamin K2 that are also very important to maintaining dental health.

4. Leafy Vegetables

Leafy vegetables, especially green ones, are very good for your oral health. One of the reasons why is because they act as a “prebiotic” that helps promote a certain kind of bacteria in your mouth. While we tend to associate bacteria with sickness, in this case, this oral bacteria is good for you. This kind of bacteria helps to increase nitrates in your body. With more nitric oxide, your mouth, as well as your cardiovascular system, will be healthier as this study demonstrates. This can be contrasted against carbohydrates that have the opposite effect and reduce these nitrates.

5. Fiber-Rich Foods

Lastly, any food that is rich in fiber is probably a good bet in regards to your oral health and your health overall. Fiber, of course, helps prevent things like heart disease, but it also has strong benefits for your teeth as well. For one, fiber tends to help keep your teeth and gums cleaner in comparison to foods that contain no fiber. Fiber also helps promote the production of saliva in your mouth. All dentists agree that saliva is vital for keeping your teeth and mouth healthy. Saliva helps reduce tooth decay by helping to suppress the enzymes and acids that cause it.

Conclusion

While flossing, brushing, and using mouth rinse is important, it’s not the only part of maintaining a healthy mouth. Diet also matters a great deal for your oral and dental health. Try to integrate foods good for your teeth and oral health like the ones listed above into your diet.