Blog Home
Oral+Health
Foot Safety Education: Tooth Friendly Foods

Foot Safety Education: Tooth Friendly Foods

By Michael J. Morris, DDS

October 07, 2014

Category: Oral Health

Tags: Dentist

This September is National Food Safety Education Month. During September, it is important for you to take charge of your family’s health and oral health by educating yourselves on tooth friendly foods. To help you better understand, our cosmetic dentistry staff in Spring, TX is available to provide you with proper guidelines. Oral Health Wellness

Establish a Well-Balanced Diet

You can improve your oral health and reduce your risk of developing periodontal disease by eating a well-balanced diet based on the well-known food pyramid. It is recommended that eating a variety of foods from the five major food groups – grains, fruit, vegetables, milk and meat – are highly important. Vitamin and mineral supplements can also help in the preservation of periodontal health in addition to the boosting of overall health and well-being. Your dentist and family physician can help you determine a healthy diet for your needs.

By eating in moderation and variety you can develop eating habits that follow the recommendations of various reputable health organizations to protect your oral health as well as your overall health. Avoid fad diets that limit or eliminate entire food groups, which results in vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Always keep your mouth moist by drinking water because your saliva protects both hard and soft oral tissues. When you have a dry mouth, substitute your diet with sugarless candy or gum to stimulate your saliva.

Attack of the Soda Pop

Living in a fast food era, it is hard for people to avoid the urge to drink sugar filled soda. Many people will grab a pop, or iced tea instead of water. Pop doesn’t just contain empty calories, but it also contains sugars that can harm enamel, which is the protective shell around your teeth. Over time exposing dental enamel to carbonated beverages and non-carbonated canned ice tea weakens and permanently destroys enamel, according to the Academy of General Dentistry.

About 27 percent of the beverages that are consumed by Americans are soft drinks, which have steadily increased over the years and continue to rise. As a result, oral health problems, mainly cavities, have continued to rise every year. Repeated exposure over a long period of time increases your risk of getting a cavity. Drinking pop through a straw may help in reducing the amount of soda that comes into direct contact with your teeth. It is also recommended that rinsing your mouth out with water after drinking and using toothpaste that contains fluoride may also help in preventing further damage from the sugars.

Protect your mouth beginning with proper nutrition and dieting. Contact your Spring, TX dentist, Dr. Michael Morris, today for advice on proper nutrition and how it can help establish a healthy mouth and body.

0 Comment(s) Permalink