How Do My Eating Habits Affect My Oral Health
Your eating habits reflect on your general health, as well as the health of your teeth and gums. Being mindful of what you put in your mouth will help ensure you enjoy a healthy smile for many more years to come. Your trusted team at Afton Dental is here to support your oral health every step of the way!
Nutrition and Oral Health
Consuming an unhealthy diet can negatively affect your oral health. Sugary foods and beverages, sweetened fruit drinks, and non-nutritious starchy snacks can increase your risk of developing tooth decay and cavities. Bacteria in plaque convert the sugars and starches to acids that erode your tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay.
Make sure your diet is nutritious. Lacking certain essential nutrients can leave the tissues in your mouth vulnerable to infection, which can, in turn, result in gum (periodontal) disease, a leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Many studies have concluded that periodontal disease progresses faster and may be more severe in people with poor nutrition.
Healthy Choices for Healthy Smiles
Make sure to consume a healthy, balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and low dairy products. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Rather than snacking on processed or sugary treats, opt for healthy foods such as fresh fruits, raw vegetables, cheese, or nuts.
Foods and Beverages to Limit or Avoid
Sugary foods and beverages offer an abundant food source for the bacteria in your mouth to feast. Carbonated drinks can also harm your teeth because they are acidic and are high in sugar. Even diet sodas can damage your teeth because they are acidic.
Limit sticky foods, which can cling to your teeth and are hard to clean off. Starches such as white bread or potato chips or white bread can also harm your teeth, because saliva breaks them down into sugar, resulting in a sticky, pasty substance that lingers in the crevices of your teeth.
It’s best to steer away from hard or crunchy treats, which can chip, crack, or even break a tooth. Damage to a tooth may allow bacteria to enter its inner layers, which can wreak havoc on your oral health.
Quality Dental Care in Concord, NC
Visit Afton Dental to learn more about caring for your oral health. We are proud to offer preventive dentistry services to help keep dental disease at bay. We are all about maintaining healthy smiles for a lifetime. Call us and schedule your appointment today!