Sugar can be one of the worst foods for your dental health, often leading to tooth decay and enamel erosion. The oral bacteria, plaque, use the sugar as energy to grow and strengthen in thickness. Without a proper brushing after eating, the plaque will eat away at the enamel eventually resulting in cavities and tooth decay.In addition to a decline in tooth health, plaque can irritate gums making them more sensitive and susceptible to bleeding and gum disease. When the gums and teeth become separated, the resulting pockets can fill with bacteria and when left untreated can destroy the bone around the tooth causing loose teeth.
Here are a few tips to increase your overall oral health:
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- Don’t eliminate entire food groups as that can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
- Use a straw when drinking sugary or carbonated beverages to limit direct contact with your teeth.
- Limit sugar consumption to a maximum of 4 times per day.
- Snack on foods that are low in sugar such as cheese, nuts, vegetables or fruit.
- When you do drink a soda, do so with a meal as it is less harmful to your teeth.
- To protect against tooth decay, combine carbs with other foods to help neutralize acid.
- Drink water throughout the day to keep your mouth moist and free of food particles.
Like the saying states, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but when you find yourself needing a cleaning, give our Ooltewah dentist office a call. Written by Tiffany Hutton