When you eat, you might not give much thought to the type of food, or the process that takes place in your mouth to consume the food before it heads down your throat for further digestion. We believe it’s important to consider your food choices but what foods should you eat for Healthy Teeth?
Hawthorn East Dental believes that when you put food in your mouth, what you eat should not be ignored without considering the impact it has on your teeth and oral hygiene.
The Process That Takes Place When You Eat
We believe it’s important to understand what takes place in your mouth when you consume food and drink so you can fully understand the importance of selecting the right food and drink to take care of your oral health.
Your aim needs to be to keep your teeth strong and healthy, and in-tact well into the later years of your life.
Once food enters your mouth, your teeth break the food into smaller pieces and grind it down. Saliva plays an important part in the breakdown of food.
The average amount of saliva a person produces a day is approximately 1lt to 1.5lt. and saliva consists of 99% water and an intricate mixture of other important fluids and is important for maintaining tooth enamel.
Simply put, it is the starch in foods that are broken down by saliva with α-amylase (ptyalin) and assists in creating a ‘food bolus’ (a ball-like mixture of food you just ate) that is ready to pass down the throat.
Tooth decay can occur partly due to the colonization of cariogenic bacteria on teeth, the amount of exposure of cariogenic bacteria to certain foods, including the types of foods eaten.
With preschool children in particular, “The risk of developing tooth decay is greater if sugars are consumed very often and are in a form that means the food stays in the mouth for long periods of time.” (source: http://www.nutricionhospitalaria.com/pdf/6783.pdf#page=74)
What Foods to Eat for the Health of Your Teeth
It may seem hard to eat healthy food when you lead a busy lifestyle but we do recommend you think about your food choices and foods for your children or family.
In order to understand the best foods to eat, it’s important to understand the vitamins and minerals your teeth need to stay in tip top shape.
Foods rich in calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D and Vitamin A will assist. Types of foods that contain this
It would be no surprise that drinking water is not only good for your teeth but also good for saliva. Staying hydrated is great for your whole body.
We encourage you to further research foods but this is a great place to start with the foods listed below.
Aside from sunshine which is important for Vitamin D, here are some Recommended Foods:
Vitamin D
- Mushrooms
- Soy and Almond milk (fortified)
- Orange Juice (fortified with Vit D)
- Cereal (fortified with Vit D)
- Egg
Phosphorus
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Zucchini
- Squash
- Watercress
- Spinach & leafy greens
- Brocolli
- Cauliflower
- Cucumber
- Peas
- Grains
- Oats
- Bean varieties
- Chickpeas
Calcium
- Dark leafy greens
- calcium-set tofu
- Blackstrap Molasses
- Brocolli
- Navy Beans
- Almonds
- Bok Choy
- Orange Juice (Calcium fortified)
- Milks & Nut Milks (Calcium Fortified)
- Chia Seeds
- Tempeh
- Pinto Beans
- Figs
Vitamin A
- Spinach
- Tomato
- Carrots
- Red Bell Peppers
- Swiss Chard
- Mango
- Cantaloupe
- Broccoli
- Apricots
- Grapefruit
- Peas
- Plums
Keep in mind that how foods are combined will also make a difference as to how well the nutrients are absorbed into the body.
Avoid sugary drinks and just have the odd mineral water if you feel like something fizzy.
If you would like to put a dental maintenance plan into place then make a time with our friendly staff and we will ensure you have the best advice to take care of your oral health.
