Better Diet, Better Teeth!
You may know that “you are what you eat,” and you may make changes accordingly to slim down or to feel healthier. Yet to get a white smile, you may buy a lot of expensive toothpastes and other products, spend more time brushing and make extra trips to your Peoria dentist. You may not make the connection that what you are putting in your mouth is turning your teeth dull and yellow also, no matter how much scrubbing you do.
Better Diet, Better Teeth!
What you eat and drink can actually do more damage to your teeth than stain them. Getting a regular dental exam and cleaning can help you minimize the damage, but you really need to make changes to your diet to make a real impact.
Here’s what you need to know about how certain things in your diet could be affecting your teeth:
Acidic Foods and Drinks
In the middle of the sweltering Arizona summer, an ice cold soda can hit the spot and a salad with zesty dressing can feel light and refreshing. Yet these and other acidic foods and drinks can actually wear away the enamel on your teeth, which not only makes them look darker and older but also makes them vulnerable to decay.
Once you lose enamel, it will not grow back and it cannot be replaced. The only thing you can do to keep it is protect it. Get regular dental checkups and stay away from acidic foods and drinks. Some of the worst offenders include salt, wine, vinegar and sodas. Soda further damages the teeth by staining them.
Sugar
Sugar is bad for your body and bad for your teeth. Not only can it age your face but it can also make your teeth look older by making them darker and duller.
Eating sugar is like throwing gas on a fire. The sugar feeds bacteria in your mouth and body, which sets off a chain of harmful events. In your mouth, that reaction can erode the enamel on your teeth, which can contribute to decay and make the teeth look darker.
Obviously sweet treats like cakes and cookies aren’t the only foods you should avoid. White breads, pancakes, biscuits, and crackers are all high in sugar also. Even supposedly healthy foods like yogurt and salad dressing can be full of sugar.
Strong Drinks
Coffee, tea, and soda can all stain your teeth over time, even if you are vigilant about brushing. Colored drinks like wine and sports drinks can also stain your teeth, which is why visiting your Peoria cosmetic dentist is always a good idea.
Water is always the best drink option. If you have to drink some of these staining drinks, limit them to improve your health and the look of your teeth. You can also drink them through a straw to limit their impact.
Other foods can stain your teeth also, such as berries, chocolate, tomato sauce and hard candy.
Continual Snacking and Drinking
Whenever you eat or drink something that weakens the enamel on your teeth, you will need to be careful for about the next hour. Otherwise, your teeth will be especially vulnerable during that time.
Continually sipping on a soda throughout the day or constantly grazing on crackers or sugary snacks can create a non-stop assault on your teeth. If you want to enjoy these treats, it is better for you to limit the number of times per day that you eat them, not the quantities that you eat.
Brush your teeth about any hour after you eat or drink to neutralize any acid or bacteria that are left behind. Do not brush your teeth right away or you will risk damage your teeth, which are in a weakened condition.
Regular checkups with your local Peoria dentist can help you stay informed about the condition of your teeth and the enamel so that you can make better decisions about your oral hygiene. Aesthetic Dentistry of Arrowhead in Arizona provides a complete menu of dental services to help you attain maximum dental health. We offer everything from the routine dental exam to oral surgery. We offer sedation for nervous patients, and we offer white fillings to maintain the beauty of your smile. If you need a smile makeover, we offer services such as whitening and braces. Call us today to schedule a new patient consultation and learn more.
Glendale, Arizona 85308
Phone: (623) 979-1515
Fax: (623) 878-1811
Office Hours:
Website: https://www.drgregceyhan.com
85308
