The key to healthy teeth, is a healthy diet!
Just because you clean and floss your teeth, twice a day, doesn't mean that your teeth aren't affected by what you eat. While cleaning helps, your physical well-being affects your dental health - and many chronic conditions such as diabetes are also affected by poor dental health.
Here's what to include in your diet so you are also looking after your dental health.
Watch what you eat!
Right from babyhood, you need calcium in your diet for strong bones and teeth. As an adult this still applies, and is particularly important as you age. Calcium comes from dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, but you can also get calcium from a variety of plant-based foods as well as in tablet form if you're particularly low in calcium.
A healthy diet includes plenty of vegetables and fruit as well as complex carbohydrates such as grain breads, and protein - it's not just good for your weight, but also for your teeth. If you have a chronic disease, your diet is even more important as your doctor will advise.
Drinks to avoid!
Coffee may be what gets you out of bed in the morning, but it can be a whole lot of trouble for your teeth. If you love nothing more than a milky cappuccino with a couple of sugars to start the day in the office, take your toothbrush because you've undone any after-breakfast cleaning. The same goes for a "healthy" fruit juice, which is high in sugar and can be very acidic so you're better off with water.
Even without milk and/or sugar, black coffee can still be a problem and just like red wine, it can stain your teeth. If you are thinking of having your teeth whitened, you really need to avoid drinking these, or at the very least, be sure to rinse and clean your teeth afterwards - simply drinking through a straw isn't enough.
Swap out the snacks
Sweet and sticky snacks can seem essential for getting through a long day, but they're also pepping up the bacteria in your mouth. If you're not brushing from breakfast until before bed, it can be plenty of time for bacteria to breed. Instead, cut up some carrots, celery and bring snap peas, nuts, apples and plain yoghurt for in-between meals. If you're really craving sweets you may need to check your diet and up the protein or complex carbohydrate levels for more sustained energy.
today and speak with your dentist about dietary health.