The Impact of Your Diet on Dental Health

Nutritionists recommend eating a balanced diet. Eating more fruits and vegetables and skipping processed foods are what you need to do to maintain a healthy body. Your teeth also receive the benefits of good nutrition. Experts at the American Dental Association say that although you brush and floss daily, the state of your dental health still relies on what you eat and drink. With the temptations of online food deliveries and irresistible snacks, you may not be mindful of your healthy diet anymore. If you want to understand how your diet impacts your dental health, here’s what you need to know.

 

Fast Food

According to statistics, most Americans eat fast food because it’s convenient, inexpensive, and extremely diverse. With the pandemic still about, you tend to order online for burgers, fries, or whatever quick meals and snacks you can get via app, phone, or website. Even with the promise of organic, healthy ingredients, you still get fast food. This means that the majority of the ingredients have already been processed.
 

Even with the so-called healthy ingredients, extra sugar is what makes fast food unhealthy. The excessive amounts of carbohydrates in fast food make you crave more carbohydrates. That is why fast food is addictive. If you eat excessive amounts of carbohydrates, the bacteria in your mouth will eat more and then excrete more acids. These acid waste products corrode your teeth, causing tooth decay and cavity formation.

 

Sweet Drinks

Dental experts always warn about soda, sports drinks, fruit juices, and other sweetened drinks. Even if the sweet liquids just pass along the sides of your teeth as you drink, they still contain high amounts of sugar and additives. The moment they enter your mouth, they stick to your teeth and feed the bacteria. It is best to opt for sugar-free beverages and juices. Water should be the number one thirst-quencher on your list.

 

Fermentable Carbohydrates

Oral health researchers say that you should refrain from eating chips, crackers, cookies, or similar food items. These snacks are rich sources of fermentable carbohydrates. According to the American Dental Association, these foods cause acids to accumulate inside your mouth. Experts there add that between chocolates and chips, chips stay longer in your mouth. This makes bacteria get to thrive even more. If you still want to eat fermentable carbohydrates, you can eat them with other types of food items such as cheese, yogurt, or sour cream. Eating more fruits, nuts, and vegetables is always a better option.


 

Dental specialists say that it is best to avoid sugary foods and drinks. Reading labels is a good habit to practice while shopping at grocery stores. Nutritionists say that it is always best to eat food and drink beverages that come without labels at all because they are unprocessed. At Seale Family Dentistry, we always take the time to give nutrition education to our patients. We believe that good nutrition leads to optimal dental health. You can visit our clinic in Lake Charles, Louisiana, for a walk-in consultation. Please call us at 337-474-0212 if you want to schedule an appointment or ask questions about the correlation between optimal nutrition and dental health.