Healthy Eating Habits Equal Healthy Teeth

Eating an excess of sweets or not brushing your teeth after eating sweets is a fairly sure-fire way of ending up with a mouth full of cavities. Sugar, candy and sweet drinks take the majority of the blame for causing cavities, but there’s a little more to it than simply eating sweets.

How Are Cavities Formed?

Cavities are formed when foods – especially things that break down into sugars, like bread and other simple starches – combine with bacteria in the mouth and turn into acids. These acids cause the enamel of the teeth to erode and eventually cause cavities.

What Are Good Food Choices For Healthy Teeth?

Fresh vegetables are a great choice to avoid tooth decay. Fresh fruits are a good choice, but, since they do contain sugars, it’s best to brush your teeth within 20 minutes of eating them, since plaque begins to form in that time frame.
Cheese is another great food to help protect your healthy smile. Cheese is low in carbohydrates and has a very low pH, so it helps alkalize the mouth and minimize the damage done by acidic foods. Cheese also helps rebuild tooth enamel and produces saliva. A healthy amount of saliva will kill the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.

What Else Can I Do to Keep My Teeth Healthy?

Drinking lots of water can help keep your mouth well hydrated and can help wash away food particles left behind after meals. Drinking water also stimulates the production of saliva, which also protects your tooth and gum health.

Another way to boost tooth and gum health is to use oral care probiotics. These probiotics help crowd out harmful bacteria in the mouth by boosting the population of beneficial bacteria in the mouth. These beneficial bacteria compete with harmful bacteria in the mouth for both space and nutrients.

By following simple guidelines of proper oral care and choosing foods that promote oral health, you can help ensure your smile remains healthy and happy.