What diet is best for teeth health?

It is easy to forget that our mouths are something that we need to take care of as well when developing healthy habits. You know by now I am never going to tell you foods are “bad” or you should go on a diet, but what I will tell you is that there are ways you can improve your teeth and oral health by the food choices you are making.

For this weeks JUST THE TIP TUESDAY, here are 6 tips around what diet is best for teeth health:

1. DRINK WATER

   You have heard every wellness professional say it, there is a reason for that! It sounds so simple, but so many of you are not drinking enough water to support your health. More specifically, when we look at your teeth health it is important to have enough saliva and staying hydrated helps with this. Why? Well, because saliva is responsible for fighting bacteria, plaque, and tartar. Picture it as your mouths front line of defense. It wants to protect you! This is the #1 tip to improve the health of your teeth. You may like to eat sweets (I know I do), drinking water will help take care of your teeth. Do you eat a lot of acidic foods: High protein foods, fish, sweet drinks, some dairy products. Drink water and give your mouth a chance to stay healthy!

   2. FLAVOURED SODA

   Did your mom ever say “Sip all day, get decay”? This catchy tagline has a lot of truth behind it. There is sugar in the majority of the flavoured sodas out there on the market today and when that combines with the bacteria already in your mouth, it forms an acid which attacks your teeth.

   The “Sip All Day, Get Decay” slogan isn’t just meant to be a catchy tagline – it’s literally the truth!

   Sugar in soda combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid, which attacks the teeth.

   Soda including diet sodas, usually contain citric acid, which will also attack your teeth health. How do you protect your teeth from this? Swap out the soda for water or milk (hello calcium). The other way is to strengthen your enamel by using remineralizing toothpaste. For recommendations on what products to use, contact my friends over at Citizen Dental and they will help you.

   3. CALCIUM

   You may have heard that calcium gives you strong bones. It is true! Luckily for you, that includes the bones in your jaw and in your mouth. Have you ever thought about what holds your teeth in place? You guessed it, your jaw. When you make sure your jaw is strong your teeth are more likely to stay in place and your bite won’t be impacted. The side effect of having a weak jaw includes losing your teeth.

4. SUGAR IS OKAY

If you are anything like me, you have a sweet tooth and so this is where you will want to listen up! I am not telling you not to eat sugar. The dentist will provide you with a long list of the reasons to quit the sweets. But guess what? You can eat sugar! Like anything, in moderation. The way to eat sugar and take care of your teeth health is to never allow the sugar particles from settling into those small spots in your mouth that are hard to brush. Do you have smelly breath? Sugar may be the reason. Sugar feeds bacteria both in your gut and in your mouth, so if you let the sugar settle it will cause an odor that isn’t pleasant for you or anyone in your general vicinity! If you are going to eat sugar, that is okay but be sure to floss floss floss! By flossing, you will get into those areas the toothbrush just can’t reach.

5. COUNTERACT ACIDIC TOPPINGS

Acidic sauces and toppings can be really hard on your teeth health. Thankfully there is an easy way to counter this and it even elevates the flavour of your food. #winning!

What does countering the acid look like? Simply add a bit of dairy like parmesan cheese or unflavoured yogurt to those sauces! It will make the sauce more creamy and the dairy will help to neutralize the pH of the meal. Want to take it to the next level and do this across the board? Add milk to your coffee or tea to take care of the acidic nature in those drinks too!

6. DEHYDRATED TEETH

Have you ever drank alcohol and had a headache the next day? Probably! The reason for that is because you are dehydrated. You guessed it guys, drinking water will help hydrate your teeth and take care of your oral health! Again, I am not saying you can’t drink alcohol which is what most online personal trainers out there will tell you. What I am saying is make sure you counter it with something and avoid the negative side effects.

Do you have staining caused from by highly acidic drink like coffee or wine? My friends at Citizen dental will give you a FREE LASER WHITENING when you book your hygiene check up here.

They took great care of me and the results were amazing!

WHAT DIET IS BEST FOR TEETH HEALTH SUMMARY:

What you eat and drink deserves your attention not only for your overall health but for your teeth health. My clients know that I focus on each person individually and the same is true when it comes to your oral health. We are all very different and it is important to listen to your bodies warning signs. This is about finding what works for your lifestyle instead of feeling like you have to follow a long list of “dos” and “don’ts”.

If you want to learn more about taking care of your teeth health and your overall health let’s chat.

It took me far too long and cost me WAY too much money to get the results I was after. I can help you.

Learn more about my 8-week program here.

Stay strong. Be the fire.

Dunnebells.

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