25 Jan What to Eat and What to Avoid for Better Oral Health
Dental crowns, fillings, and professional whitening can improve the health and appearance of your smile, but prevention is even more effective. You can avoid developing cavities and food stains in the first place by paying closer attention to your diet. This means knowing what foods to avoid as well as what foods to include as part of your daily oral health routine.
Avoid Citrus Fruit
While citrus fruit and citrus juices are rich in vitamin C and other important nutrients, they can harm your tooth enamel. In particular, the acidic content of grapefruit and lemon juices can slowly erode your enamel over time.
Avoid Chewy Candy
Chewy candies like caramels and taffy can easily stick to your teeth. The longer it takes to remove the sticky substance, the more time bacteria in your mouth have to feast on the sugar. As the bacteria consume the leftover sugar, it creates an acid that can wear away the outer layer of your tooth enamel.
Say Yes to Water
Like the saliva naturally in your mouth, water helps rinse sugar and acid off of your teeth. Water also naturally contains fluoride, which can help protect your tooth enamel against erosion. For this reason, choosing water over citrus drinks and sugary sodas can help enhance your oral hygiene.
Say Yes to Dairy
The mineral responsible for strengthening your teeth is hydroxyapatite. Calcium is an essential ingredient of this mineral, so calcium-rich dairy products can help build strong, healthy teeth.
John Carson DDS leads a skilled dental team truly focused on your personal oral health care. As a patient of our dental office, you can achieve a beautiful, healthy smile while enjoying a high level of Tucson dental care. If you are looking for a cosmetic dentist in Tucson, please call (520) 514-7203.