Your teeth are exposed to everything that you eat, including acidic foods that erode enamel away and foods that stain teeth. What you eat can have a lot to do with your overall dental health. Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to your diet and dental health.
Sugar Can Contribute to Dental Decay
Sugar is a major contributor to dental decay. More than anything else, bacteria erode your teeth. If you have a diet that is high in sugar, your feeding the bacteria in your mouth and making it grow faster. If you want to avoid early tooth decay, combine proper cleaning habits with a reduced sugar diet. That way, you are both removing the bacteria and making it harder for more bacteria to grow.
Poor Diets Make Infection More Likely
If you have a poor diet, you are more likely to have infections. That is because poor diets contain acids, sugars, and other chemicals that wear down your teeth. For example, sodas are loaded with sugar, which feeds bacteria, and acids that stain and erode enamel. Removing these types of foods from your diet can help correct many dental conditions and prevent large amounts of bacteria from infecting multiple parts of your body.
Acidic Foods and Dental Enamel
Your teeth are protected by a thin layer of enamel. If the enamel is damaged, then your teeth are stained and open to deeper problems like cavities. Acidic foods won’t grow bacteria, but they will erode the enamel quickly. In some cases, the acid leaves small holes in your enamel, which make them prone to stains. In other cases, the enamel disappears entirely leaving you open to infections, permanent damage, and cavities. Fortunately, removing acidic foods from your diet will give the enamel on your teeth the chance to grow back and a thorough cleaning can help remove the stains.
Drink a Lot of Water
Water can be one of the best options for you to drink. Water doesn’t damage your teeth as other drinks can. Plus, it also helps clean your teeth. Drinking a lot of water washes away bacteria and leftover food that can cause dental issues. The longer they stay in your mouth between cleanings, the more likely you are to have problems. So, drinking a lot of water helps keep your mouth clean throughout the day.
Limit Snacking
You can also limit snacking to reduce the chances of messing up your dental health. Snacking introduces foods that are not always healthy and can linger in your teeth for an extended period. This is how many people, despite having good dental habits, run into problems. You can avoid many problems by just reducing the amount of snacking between meals and eating better, more filling meals.
Tender Smiles 4 Kids can help you improve your dental health. Contact us at one of our four locations for a consultation. You can reach us at Freehold 732-625-8080, North Brunswick 732-249-1010, Edison 732-549-3773, or Roselle 908-245-5556 or contact us online here.