It’s pretty common knowledge that our diet has an impact on our health. What we consume impacts our bodies in all sorts of ways and understanding the best foods to support our physical wellbeing is really important for us to live long and healthy lives. It’s also fairly well known that certain foods can impact the health of our teeth. But, perhaps what is less well known are which foods can actually benefit our oral health - so, we at Sheen Dental have been chatting with your dentist Richmond to discover which foods are good for our teeth and how they specifically benefit certain areas.
Greens, Greens
‘Eat your greens’! Yup, we’ve all heard that one. Greens are generally one of the best foods you can eat. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals and are high volume foods (meaning you can eat lots of them and not worry about the calorie intake). When it comes to your teeth they are super high in calcium which is what our bodies rely on to make more enamel - that’s the hard protective layer that covers our teeth. They’re also high in folic acid which is great for skin, nails. Leafy greens aren’t for everyone but you can easily add them into smoothies to try and increase your intake without tasting them too much.
Almonds
Almonds are a fantastic source of both calcium and protein whilst also being really low in sugar content. Protein is important as it’s what the body uses to encourage growth and development, so if you’ve suffered bone loss helping your body rebuild it through protein is really important.
Nuts can be an excellent afternoon snack or added into your morning breakfast. We’re also very lucky that almond butter is easily available in most supermarkets now and so almond butter on toast could easily replace classic peanut butter.
Cheese and Yoghurt
Cheese and yoghurt are also excellent sources of protein and calcium but also come with their own unique benefits. Yoghurt is full of probiotics and bacterias which can really help the health of your gums as the good bacteria in yoghurt can keep the bad bacterias that cause gum disease at bay. Do try where you can to keep plain yoghurt in your diet as lots of the flavoured varieties can be full of sugar.
Cheese. We all love cheese. Now cheese is great but should be consumed in sensible portions as it can be very unhealthy in lots of ways but a little here and there could help the pH balance in your mouth says your dentist Richmond.
Crunchy Veggies
Apples, carrots, celery, radish, peppers, sweetcorn, anything that’s grown in the ground or on a tree and has a little crunch is probably going to be good for your teeth. Crunchy veggies tend to have a high water content which is excellent for natural cleaning throughout the day. This added with the extra effort to chew crunchy foods will help the body produce more saliva which also ways away bacteria after eating.
If you would like to learn more about food groups and dental health, just ask your dentist Richmond next time you visit us for a check up.
Comments