General Dentist Tips: Food and Drink Choices for Oral Health

Your general dentist is always happy to share useful information to enhance your oral health. The most concerning matter is what to eat and drink while maintaining healthy teeth and gums. You would be surprised at the types of foods and beverages you can consume in the name of dental health. If you want to know what they are, here is the list.

Water

This clear beverage does not have calories and artificial flavorings. Any general dentist recommends it. Water should be everyone’s primary drink. It is a healthy liquid capable of maintaining hydration in the body. Fluoridated water helps dental health even more. Fluoride helps teeth fight bacteria and tooth decay.

Drinking water is the easiest way to maintain oral health. It can wash away food particles right after eating. Water can neutralize acidic drinks and foods after consuming them. It can also help produce more saliva, which buffers the cavity-producing acids in the mouth.

Yogurt, cheese, and milk

Yogurt has probiotics and calcium. The general dentist recommends eating yogurt with live good bacteria. Yogurt can prevent cavities, bad breath, and periodontitis. Cheese has casein, which can fortify the enamel. It is high in calcium, which can strengthen the jawbone. Its high phosphate can help balance the mouth’s pH levels.

Cheese can also increase saliva production. This helps wash away acid-producing bacteria. Milk can also help improve oral health. It is rich in calcium and other nutrients. This creamy beverage also buffers the mouth’s acidity.

Pears and apples

These are hard and fibrous fruits. Apples and pears can help clean teeth. They can also increase salivation. This buffers the malic and citric acids in the mouth.

Fresh apples and pears are better than their juice counterparts. The juices are sugary and bad for teeth. Chewing on the fibrous flesh or these fruits can stimulate the gums. This increases saliva and reduces bacterial population.

Crunchy vegetables

These vegetables need significant chewing. Each fibrous chew cleans the surfaces of teeth dislodging bacteria and food particles. These vegetables also contain a large percentage of water. The juiciness of these vegetables stimulates saliva production.

Nuts

These small morsels are packed full of nutrients like phosphorous, calcium, iron, and antioxidants. Nuts can strengthen the jawbone and battle free radicals in the mouth. Eating nuts can stimulate the production of saliva. It can buffer the acids from bacteria.

Berries

Vitamin C is an antioxidant. It can fight the free radicals entering the mouth every day. This vitamin can also maintain the structure and strength of teeth. It can even whiten teeth.

Fatty fish and meats

Chewing meat stimulates saliva production. This decreases the mouth’s acidity. A general dentist also knows that more chewing increases the flushing of food particles and bacteria from the mouth. Tofu and fatty fish are full of phosphorous, which protects the enamel.