Dental health is not the first thing that people associate with vitamin deficiency or with water consumption. Yet, what you eat can dramatically impact the health of your gums and teeth. Many times, even innocuous food items that you consume every day could be slowly eroding your gums or teeth and it is important to know the importance or risks of consuming various food items before it is too late. Here are a few foods that you can make or break your dental health.
Sparkling water
It’s just water, right? There is no reason why it should be bad for your health. That’s not true. According to Dr. Rylan J Hansen from Hansen Dentistry, the fizziness in sparkling water is provided by Carbon Dioxide. This CO2 is converted to carbonic acid when you drink this. The acid reduces the pH levels in our mouth and this causes our teeth to dimineralize. That’s recipe for dental erosion. Granted that this is not as harmful as consuming Coke or Pepsi where CO2 not only turns the pH level down, but the sugar in the drinks can also cause decay. But if you are consuming several bottles of sparkling water each day, you should know the long-term risks associated with this.
Oranges and carrots
Now, if carbonic acid is bad for your teeth, does it mean all kinds of acidic foods are bad for your dental health? Not necessarily, says Dr. Jason Lane from Lane Family Dental. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is known to be extremely important for the formation of connective tissues like bones and cartilages. That also includes the gums in your mouth and a deficiency in Vitamin C could cause bleeding and in general poor dental hygiene. Dr. Lane advises the consumption of foods rich in Vitamin C like sweet potatoes, red peppers, strawberries and carrots. Citrus fruits like orange and gooseberries help too, but do not rely on them a lot since the acidic nature of these fruits can be counterproductive.
Milk and cheese
Milk and milk-based products are an extremely rich source of calcium which is essential strong teeth. If you are vegan and would like to avoid animal products, then you may also get your daily dose of calcium from other sources like leafy greens and almonds.
Meat and eggs
Meat and egg products, along with fish, is an extremely rich source of protein and phosphorus. These food items assist your body in protecting the enamel of your teeth and rebuilding them if they are eroded. If you have been drinking a lot of sparkling water, now you know what to replace them with.
Cakes and sweets
We all love sweets and know that they cause tooth decay. But how does that happen? Just like you, the bacteria in your mouth love sweets too and feed off them for their own sustenance. In doing this, they release a lot of acidic material which causes tooth decay. If you have a sweet tooth and just can’t avoid consuming them, make it a point to brush your teeth soon after you eat them.
A lot of dental issues crop with acidic food items that erode your tooth surface. It is a good practice to brush your teeth at least twice your day. At the same time, make sure you eat a balanced diet of all Vitamins and minerals. This is the only way to keep your mouth healthy and happy.