10 Foods and Drinks That Can Benefit Your Oral Health

Oral health is the mouth’s health, including the gums, teeth, bones around the mouth, and the throat.

Oral health care plays an important part in overall health and well-being. For example, to have healthy teeth and gums, you must learn good oral hygiene habits like brushing, flossing, and watching what you eat.

People with poor oral hygiene are at risk of developing cavities and gum disease.

What You Eat and Drink Affects Your Oral Health

The foods and drinks you take have an impact on your oral health. Consuming the right type of beverages and diet helps to improve your dental health and overall body health.

Below are ten foods and drinks that can create a positive impact on your oral health:

1. Dairy Foods

Dairy foods are milk and foods made from milk. Foods like milk, yogurts, and cheeses such as cottage cheese provide essential nutrients.

They help prevent cavities and safeguard the tooth enamel from erosion due to acidic foods.Dairy foods have casein, a protein that mixes phosphorous and calcium to form a protective protein coating over the teeth’ surface.For example, if you eat cheese after a meal, it can cancel out the effects left by acid after eating sweets, bread, or citrus fruits.

2. Water

Always ensure you drink enough water because if you don’t, you will become dehydrated. Saliva comprises water; therefore, dehydration thickens the saliva and increases the chances of tooth decay.

Water plays a crucial role during digestion because it lubricates food to enable swallowing, helps break down food, and counteracts the effects of acids caused by bacteria. In addition, it also helps to reduceplaque and clear away food debris and drinks such as tea, dark fruit juices, and coffee, which can lead to teeth staining.

Tap water contains fluoride, which helps build strong teeth. If you don’t want to drink tap water, you can visit a dental clinic where the dentist may suggest a fluoride treatment.

3. Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables such as broccoli, sweet potato, carrots, and pumpkin are good for oral health. This is because they have vitamin A, which is vital in the production of tooth enamel.

Most fruits and vegetables have high fiber and water content. Some include apples, carrots, celery, spinach, lettuce, and kale. These foods stimulate the glands to produce more saliva, which helps to dilute the sugar content in food.

Vitamin C can slow down the development of gum disease by alleviating inflammation, and it can strengthen connective tissue and blood vessels. Fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C include kiwis, acerola cherries, Kakadu plums, guavas, broccoli, lychees, mustard spinach, brussels sprouts, strawberries, and papayas.

4. Nuts

Nuts contain phosphorus, vitamin E, and magnesium which are essential for good gum health and bone. They also have high amounts of fiber which helps stimulate salivary flow.

Examples of nuts include walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts.

5. Fatty Fish

Fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids have high vitamin D levels; they include salmon, bass, anchovies, black cod, mackerel, herring, whitefish, sardines, and bluefin tuna.

6. Green Tea

Green tea contains polyphenols that suppress or kill bacteria that form plaque. As a result, it decreases the acidity of plaque and saliva to build a dental environment that can help protect your teeth from cavities.

Catechin is an antioxidant substance present in green tea. It can help alleviate inflammation in the body.

7. Lean Meat

Chicken is a good example of lean meat. It provides the teeth and gums with protein and phosphorus.

Phosphorus is essential in bone production and remodeling.

8. Cocoa

The bean husk of cocoa can assist in hardening the tooth enamel, which lowers the risk of teeth becoming decayed. Dark chocolate comprises 70% cocoa and can be a good superfood when eaten in moderation.

9. Semolina Seeds

Sesame seeds can be beneficial when consumed on their own or baked into bread. It is high in calcium and helps remove plaque from teeth when chewing.

10. Chewing Gum

It’s debatable whether gum counts as food, and our dentist in Wenatchee suggests you refrain from swallowing it. Always ensure the type of chewing gum you are eating is sugar-free. Chewing increases the production of saliva, which aids in washing away toxic acids.

At Confluence Dental Wenatchee, we offer various treatments, from preventive dentistry to cosmetic dentistry. If you require an emergency dentist near you, contact us.