Eating the right foods can improve your dental care

We all know that every year we make resolutions.  This year make 2021 the true new year, new you, and work on your dental health.  That is a phrase we hear a lot and it usually comes around the beginning of January where millions of people make new year's resolutions but it doesn't have to.  You can make that resolution right now.  There is usually a plan to work out more and healthier as well.  From a dental hygiene perspective that is actually a pretty good idea. In general the more healthy food you eat the better it can be for your teeth.  Staying away from foods and drinks that are loaded with corn syrup and excess sugar can be a wonderful boost to your mouth. So what are some foods and beverages you should avoid in order to be more healthy?  Well, let's go over a few to help. 

We all know that there are simply foods to avoid and eat very little of.  It is rather obvious to most that one food you should attempt to avoid even if it's a cheat day is a specific type of candy.  Yes, we all know candy is not good for your teeth, but if you can give up sour candies you will be doing your mouth a favor. In general sour candy is chewy, which means it is more likely to stick to your teeth.  That hurts your mouth instantly.  This and adding the fact that it has several different types of acids mixed in with the sugar can wreak havoc on your dental hygiene.  So if you can avoid eating sour candies you will have a better chance of not getting cavities. Another food to avoid and that fits lots of diets is avoiding eating carbs. 

We all know that our favorite carb is bread and it is considered a carb to stay away from and finds itself on the do not eat list for lots of diets.  Carbs are always going to be an issue that we need to eat less of.  Bread is usually chewy and filled with starch. Starch turns directly into sugar and since bread is chewy it can easily stay on your teeth longer than many other foods.  It is more likely to stick in between your teeth and that is a sure-fire way to cause cavities.  Those cavities can be extremely painful and expensive to get filled.  So skipping the bread aisle on your new diet might be a better idea than just for losing weight but can help your teeth. 

Cutting back on drinking is a good call for your mouth as well.  It may be obvious but for some, they don’t know that alcohol is actually not only a no-no on many diets but also a hindrance to your dental health. The main reason why is that it dries out your mouth. This leads to less saliva in your mouth which actually cleans your teeth. Saliva washes food particles out of your mouth and prevents food from sticking to your teeth. It also is a way your mouth heals itself.  It can help early stages of gum disease and tooth decay.  So by eliminating alcohol you can be doing your mouth a big favor in the long run.  Try and drink a little less this year and your mask breath may be better too!