Learning How A Balanced Diet Can Protect Your Teeth

What you eat has a distinct impact on your oral health. Most often, people are aware of how eating a balanced diet can lower the risk of diseases to the heart, stomach, arteries, and lungs. Diet affects your body in ways that aren’t normally recognized, however, as your oral health can also be impacted by what you eat. Nutrient-rich foods are worth the costs, but how does healthy food impact your oral health? Here, we explore the relationship between your mouth and your body, how foods impact that relationship, and what you can do to improve your oral health through diet.

How Your Mouth And Body Impact Your Health

One of the best places to find out how healthy you currently are is through your mouth. Often, your body contains a variety of natural defenses that protect your body from bacteria, viruses, and other diseases. Your mouth is like a mini-ecosystem that works with hundreds of good bacteria within your body to maintain its internal stability, allowing for easy digestion of various foods to help gain the nutrients your body needs. Most of the bacteria within our mouths are harmless, and in fact, assist in many of the aspects of our current health, thus making our mouths a vital part of our existence.

Because your mouth is a vital entry point, it’s also vulnerable to harmful collections of bacteria, making your body more prone to respiratory infections and digestion problems. When poor oral health persists, your mouth becomes more prone to developing harmful bacteria, such as the streptococcus mutans, which can develop and collect along the enamel and gum line, leading to infections and decay. However, it also can lead to a higher risk of developing health conditions such as endocarditis, pneumonia, and cardiovascular disease.

How Balanced Diets Help Improve Your Oral Health

Certain medications and good oral care sometimes aren’t enough to prevent oral diseases. Cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay are more prevalent when high amounts of carbohydrates are present in the diet. Carbs often contain high amounts of glucose and sucrose, forms of sugar that often feed the bacteria in our mouths to create plaque, one of the leading causes of cavities and gum disease that can ultimately affect other areas of their health. Studies like the ones from StatPearls claim that highly nutritious foods are significantly important towards improving oral health because certain foods can contain calcium and phosphate, which can help increase bone health and reduce the risks of dental diseases.

Overall, some of the best ways to reduce your risks of dental diseases include eating a variety of foods with these factors:

• Eat Foods High In Vitamin D, A, and C

• Dairy Products with High Calcium

• Drink Water with Fluoride

• Focus on Lean Proteins and Low-Fat Meals

• Find High Fiber Vegetables and Fruits

It’s important to avoid processed foods and sugary drinks because by changing your diet, your can help your body feel better and get a happier smile in the process.