Eat Healthy, Smile Healthy – Foods That are Good for Your Grin

The foods you choose to eat can not only affect your overall well-being, they can also contribute to a healthy, or unhealthy, smile. At my dental office in Charlottesville, we’re focused on ensuring that both your smile and your body are healthy, strong, and in the best shape possible. That’s why we encourage our patients to follow a well-balanced diet that’s good for both your well being and your smile.

Eat This

The best food choices for your grin are often the same ones that are good for your body. You should also look for selections that are high in calcium and phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus can help protect tooth enamel since both of these nutrients aid in the remineralization process, which makes teeth stronger. Remineralization occurs when minerals that were removed by acids found in food are redeposited onto the tooth enamel.

Some of the foods that have these beneficial qualities include:

• Cheese
• Chicken or other lean meats
• Nuts
• Milk

Other foods that are favorites of your Charlottesville dentist include crunchy fruits and veggies. With their high water content, snacks such as apples, pears, and celery not only dilute sugars in the mouth, they increase the flow of saliva. Saliva helps to wash particles and bacteria away from teeth and can also decrease acidity, which could harm teeth and lead to cavities.

Don’t Eat That

Now that we’ve covered some smile-friendly foods, it’s important that you know what to avoid. Some poor choices, for both your overall health and your mouth health, include

• Candy
• Cookies
• Bread
• French Fries
• Dried Fruit

What makes these foods dangerous to your teeth and mouth is that they contain a lot of sugar and they tend to stick on teeth, making the sugar linger around longer and increasing the chance for decay. Enjoy these in moderation and swish with water when you’re finished.

When to Eat

Not only can what you choose to eat affect the health of your teeth and gums, how often you eat can play a large role in the difference between a healthy mouth and not-so-healthy mouth.  By limiting the amount of snacking you do throughout the day, you can help keep dangerous bacteria away. Since more saliva is released during a meal than during snack sessions, bacteria has a lower chance of sticking around and causing damage. If you must snack throughout the day, make wise choices like fruits, veggies, or cheese.

Even if you make good food choices for you body and mouth, keeping up with regular appointments at my Charlottesville dental office is still really important. At these visits we’re able to thoroughly exam your mouth to monitor any potential trouble spots and treat any issues that we may find. If it’s been awhile since you’ve stopped in for a visit, give us a call to schedule your appointment today.

Serving patients in Charlottesville, Earlysville, and Ruckersville.

About The Author

Dr. Jack T. Kayton

Dr. Jack T. Kayton has served families in Charlottesville and surrounding areas since 1994 through his general and family dentistry private practice. Believing that everyone deserves quality dental care, he donates his time to worthy causes. He volunteers at the Donated Dental Service and the Charlottesville Free Clinic. His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Academy of General Dentistry, among others.

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