How Your Diet Affects Your Dental Health
Everyone knows their health is connected to everything they do. Exercising too little or too much plays a role in how healthy you feel; the same as stress, your diet and your state of mind play a role. In addition to your overall well-being, what you eat plays a role in the condition of your mouth. Your oral health is directly affected by what you eat every day. If you have concerns about your diet and how it is affecting your oral health, talk to your dentist about it. He or she will be able to examine your mouth and determine how your diet is affecting your teeth. Dentistry is very helpful when it comes to designing a diet that will help you maintain good oral health. There are a few tips everyone should know, regardless of the condition of your mouth. You can limit or eliminate certain things or add healthy things to your diet. You will not only see a difference in the health of your mouth, you will notice you feel better overall.
Coffee and tea are two of the most important things to limit if you are trying to keep your teeth white. Dark teas and coffee tend to discolor your teeth and leave them looking gray or yellow. If you must enjoy either drink, consider drinking through a straw. This prevents the liquid from covering your teeth. Those who prefer to drink their beverages hot and would rather not deal with a straw should limit how much of the beverage they drink. Occasionally, neither coffee nor tea will do much damage.
Sugar is another trouble maker when it comes to your oral health. The sugar causes tooth decay. The more sweets you eat, the more likely you are to have cavities. You should limit the amount of sweets you eat for your dental health and your overall health. However, when you occasionally indulge, brush your teeth soon after. This will wash away the sugar and prevent it from causing decay.
Just as you would want to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables for overall health, these foods help your teeth. The nutrients and vitamins in fruits and vegetables help your teeth stay strong. Usually, if something is healthy for you, it will be good for your oral health.
The one exception is citrus fruit. Though citrus is not bad for your oral health, too much of it can chip away at the enamel on your teeth. This is especially true in the case of citrus juices because the combination of sugar and acid affects the tooth enamel. Again, you can enjoy the beverage through a straw or limit you intake. Orange and pineapple juice, lemonade and grapefruit juice will not be terrible for your mouth, but avoid drinking them every single day or just enjoy a small glass in the morning. Though there are plenty of vitamins and minerals in the juice, too much of a good thing might wreak havoc in your mouth.
Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter visited a Houston dentist for a routine check-up. His wife scheduled an appointment with a Houston dentistry office for a teeth whitening treatment.
Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Houston Dentist,Houston Dentistry