Although you must meet with a nutrition specialist or other health professional to know the best foods for your dental and overall health, some of the food-related aspects of dental hygiene include:
How often you eat: Every time you snack, the bacteria in your mouth convert the sugar on your teeth into acid. Thus, each time you eat, there is an acidic attack on your tooth enamel, which is how cavities are formed. By limiting how often you snack throughout the day, you can reduce the number of times the acid proliferates on your teeth.
Bad foods for your teeth:
- Hard or chewy candy
- Bread and refined white grains
- Sugary food and beverages
- Highly acidic things such as soda
For acidic but healthy foods like citrus fruit, you can incorporate them into a larger meal. Doing so will neutralize the effect of the acid from the citrus.
Sugary and starchy foods, such as candy and french fries, can be bad for your teeth because the bacteria in your mouth quickly convert the sugar to acid. The acid sitting on your enamel is one of the primary causes of dental cavities.
Good foods for your teeth:
- Apples and other low-acid fruit
- Meat
- Nuts
- Vegetables
Foods like these have a good balance of acid and water, and they are good for your teeth and body. Foods that contain calcium are also good for your teeth.
If you want to know how to achieve and maintain your best oral health, please contact Galleria Dental Aesthetics to schedule a consultation with our experienced dentists serving Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Arlington, Tysons Corner, Fairfax, McLean and the surrounding areas.