Healthy eating and your teeth

It’s been ingrained into most people through educators, media and even pop culture influences that eating healthy will yield a healthier body and better and longer life. Knowing the right foods to eat for your body can also help to make for a brighter and healthier smile (combined with a regularly maintained dental regimen that includes brushing, flossing, rinsing and visiting your Ottawa dental professional).

Not all healthy foods provide the benefits you may think they do however. It’s important to be able to decipher between actual healthy foods that are able to improve your dental and overall health and ‘health food’ fads that are fleeting or only become popular as a means for a company to promote something.

Here are some healthy foods that may actually cause issues with your teeth and mouth health if they are consumed in great amounts.

Grapefruit – They have a very high level of citric acid and paired with the same pH level as stomach acid it can cause tooth enamel to erode and cause tooth decay. Be weary of ‘all grapefruit diet’ fads as well.

Green Smoothies – While delicious (and usually a part of certain cleanses) ‘green smoothies’ usually are sweetened with fruits and also added sugar which means they will end up doing more harm to your teeth. If you do happen to consume smoothies regularly consider using a straw and thoroughly rinsing out your mouth when finished.

Popcorn – A delicious treat (especially while watching a movie) can sometimes prove to be detrimental to teeth as uncooked or undercooked kernels can get lodged between (and sometimes even crack) teeth. After you eat some popcorn, make sure to floss as best as you can.

The foods you choose to eat is no one’s business but your own and if you decide to make any drastic changes to your diet for health reasons or otherwise make sure you consult with a medical practitioner first. To keep your teeth always looking their best, make sure to visit your Ottawa dentist regularly.