Oral health is an essential component of our overall well-being, often overlooked when considering dietary choices. However, recent insights from the world of biological dentistry spotlight how some foods can be harmful for our teeth and gums, while others actively contribute to maintaining a healthy smile.
Harmful Foods for Our Teeth
We love sugar, but it’s less than appealing to your teeth. Bacteria thrive on this sweet treat and increase in numbers, threatening your overall oral health. And it’s not just candies that you need to be cautious of. Many beverages we consume, like energy drinks and soda, are melting pots of sugar, harmful artificial colors, and enamel-damaging acids. More surprisingly, even foods like white bread contribute to tooth decay, as saliva breaks down starch into sugar.
Processed foods, as popular as they might be in our diets, often have high levels of sugar, fat, and sodium – making them detrimental not just to our oral health but our overall health as well. Even some fruits like grapes, grapefruit, pineapples with their high sugar and acidic content can damage tooth enamel.
Foods promoting Dental Health
On the bright side, foods that contribute to maintaining a healthy body weight and support our overall health generally also promote good oral health. Thus, adopting a balanced diet rich in water, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates yields positive dental results.
Regular hydration with water helps in keeping our mouth moist, flushing away plaque and bacteria. Crisp fruits like apples and pears remove plaque and provide fresher breath. Richly colored fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries, packed with anthocyanins, prevent pathogens from colonizing on teeth.
Vegetables like celery, carrots, and leafy greens act as natural toothbrushes, scrubbing away plaque and bacteria as we chew them. Also, they are loaded with essential nutrients that contribute to strong teeth and bones.
Whole grain products like wheat and rye bread are another handy weapon in our dental health arsenal, boasting less starch and added sugars compared to white bread.
Biological dentistry underlines that regular oral hygiene routines and dental checkups constitute only part of our oral health strategy. Equally important is embracing good eating habits, conscientiously selecting foods that contribute to rather than undermine our oral health. The secret to a bright, healthy smile, as wisdom from biological dentistry teaches us, is as much on our plates as it is in our daily dental care routine.
The International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM) is a network of dentists, physicians, and health professionals committed to promoting biological dentistry. Visit us online to learn how our health practitioners are promoting optimal health through the use of non-toxic dental materials.