Eating healthy is not just good for your body, but for your teeth too! Whether you’re old or young, your diet affects your teeth, and not always in a good way. Sadly, all the fun and tasty food that we love can be bad both for our waistline, and our dental health.
As our teeth grow older with us, what we eat starts showing on our teeth, even if we brush and floss regularly. If we don’t pay enough attention to our dental hygiene, this happens even faster.
To maintain our dazzling smile, we need to be mindful of what we eat and drink, viewing it as preventive care for our teeth. A good diet for your body also helps your teeth stay healthier!
Most of us would pick candy or cake over broccoli, right? But if we keep skipping veggies and constantly indulge our sweet tooth, it significantly affects our teeth. Eating sweet stuff leaves bacteria on your teeth for 20 minutes or more, and saliva can only clean so much of it. Eating veggies on the other hand, activates more saliva, helping to clean your teeth. So, the humble broccoli wins against cake even before we think about calories!
When it comes to drinks, water is your teeth’s best friend. Tea and coffee stain your teeth over time, and sugars speed up the decay process on your teeth. Sodas contain phosphoric acid, a real enemy for your enamel. On the other hand, water helps rinse off substances from your teeth, giving it a thumbs up for dental health!
Then, think about what’s better: potato chips, tortilla chips or celery? Chips are starchy and leave a sticky residue on our teeth which can lead to plaque. In contrast, veggies increase our saliva production, helping to wash away plaque-causing particles.
Be cautious with hard foods too. While fibrous foods are great since they require plenty of chewing, hard foods can be risky as biting down on something like hard candy might cost you a tooth!
Now, who doesn’t love fruits like apples, berries, bananas? They’re packed with nutrients that are good for your overall health and your teeth. But remember to brush after eating fruit, as they contain natural sugars and sometimes citric acid.
Knowing these facts can certainly make healthy eating seem a lot more attractive. Not only would you be doing your body a favor, but your teeth too. That’s a smart strategy, isn’t it?
