Everything we eat, not matter how healthy or unhealthy, has a negative effect on our teeth and mouth. Taking care of your teeth by brushing 2x/day for 2 min and flossing nightly can help keep our teeth clean. Crunchy fruits and veggies can help keep our teeth clean, too. Anything too acidic can eat away and erode our enamel. Dried fruit is delicious and densely packed with nutrients, but it sticks to the grooves of our back teeth and is just as bad as eating skittles or gummy bears. Granola is also sticky and loves staying in those deep grooves.
Staying hydrated is super important and seltzers, flavored or plain, are all the rage. However, the carbonation drops the pH so this water is just as harmful to our teeth as soda.
Be careful biting into some hard fruits with pits. It is easy to chip teeth if you catch the pit at just the right angle. While nuts are super healthy, some are softer than others. Cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts and macadamia nuts are kinder to our teeth than almonds. It's never fun to bite and hear and feel a tooth crack!
What are 5 tips (things to do/not do) we can follow in relation to our diet?
1. Drink Flat water
2. Crunchy fruits and veggies are great at cleaning the teeth and helping them look whiter
3. Try to limit fruits and veggies that stain teeth- beets, cherries, turmeric
4. Avoid carbonated beverages including all the fun seltzer waters. They are very acidic and can erode your teeth and increase GI reflux which can also erode your teeth.
5. Please limit Sticky food- like dried fruit and granola stick to the grooves in your back teeth and cause cavities.
Remember, everything in moderation. Brushing and flossing 2x/day, especially at night is the best way to preserve the health of your teeth! The mouth is the gateway to the body. Maintaining a healthy smile, bite and mouth helps ensure a healthy body. It is also some of the first places we see a problem brewing. Osteoporosis is often first detected with our dental x-rays. The oral tissues can slow digestion or metabolic issues, too. Never discredit the impact your mouth has on your whole body.