Keep Your Teeth Healthy With a Proper Diet
At the office of Dr. Tim Wachuta, March is one of our favorite months. No, it's not because of St. Patty's Day or the ongoing preparation April's chocolate egg hunt. No, March is actually National Nutrition Month, and while you may not think of this as a dentally-focused holiday, it turns out that nutrition has a big impact on teeth. Just like for whole body health, diet is critically important to dental health.
The Importance of Diet for Dental Health
It turns out that if you want to avoid cavities and maintain a healthy, beautiful smile, one of the first steps is diet. That's because when we eat, naturally-occurring bacteria in the mouth break down the sugars and carbohydrates in foods into acids. These acids are corrosive to teeth, eating away at the protective enamel of your pearly whites. The higher the sugar, carbohydrate, or acidic content of the food we eat, the more dangerous it is to teeth. Conversely, you can minimize the risk to your teeth by moderating your diet.
To help promote healthy teeth, it's important to avoid sugary, carbohydrate-rich, or acidic foods and drinks. Instead, opt for a healthy, balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables. In addition to providing a naturally low-sugar diet, chewing certain fruits and veggies, like carrots and apples, has the effect of "scrubbing" the teeth and removing residual food. You can also incorporate low-fat cheeses and yogurts into your diet, which contain tooth-strengthening calcium.
Contact Your Denver, Golden, & Wheat Ridge Dentist
Nutrition plays a crucial role in both whole body and dental health, and this March, we hope you'll take the opportunity to think critically about your diet and make choices that are good for both your body and your teeth. As always, if you need any help creating a diet that benefits your teeth or you'd like to discuss your dental health in general, we are always thrilled to speak with you. Feel free to call us with any questions, reach out to us at our contact page, or schedule an appointment at our using our online appointment request form. We can't wait to hear from you, and we wish you a happy, healthy National Nutrition Month!