How to keep your teeth healthy

Your overall health can be affected by your oral health. Bad oral heath can lead to diabetes, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s diseases, and Sjogren’s disease. Not looking after your mouth, gums, and teeth causes unfriendly bacteria to spread around your whole body. This can lead to gastrointestinal disease. Imbalanced oral bacteria negatively affect your gut microbiome, possibly even the health of your immune defence.

Diseases caused by bad Oral Health

Alzheimer’s disease can also be linked to poor oral health. Research found that gingivitis bacteria, may be linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer’s. Gingivitis bacteria produces gingipains. This appears to correlate with the elevated brain levels of tau and ubiquitin, which are often found in Alzheimer’s patients. Preventing the spread of gingipains has shown to have an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect.

Gum disease can lead to developing cardiovascular disease more easily also. Oral bacteria can lead to endocarditis. This is from bacteria entering the blood and settling in parts of the heart or blood vessels. Also, bacteria in your mouth can eventually end up in your lungs leading to health problems like pneumonia.

How diet affects your teeth

If you eat a diet high in processed, sugary foods it can cause you significant oral health problems. This type of food is highly likely to leave behind substances that cause tooth decay and cavities. It can be made worse if you don’t practice good oral hygiene habits like brushing and flossing. Soft drink and other drinks that are high in sugar can be very damaging as they bath your teeth in sugar.

If you want healthy teeth and a good immune system it is important to include plenty of plant sources of calcium and phosphorus to your diet. These are important minerals for tooth strength.

Foods to help keep your teeth healthy

Plant based sources include: tofu, unsweetened plant milks, leafy greens, almonds, beans and lentils, sunflower seeds and whole grains, such as quinoa. There are some fruits that should be eaten minimally in order to have healthy teeth and one of these is citrus. The reason is because citrus can wear down the tooth’s enamel and lead to removing some of the minerals from the tooth. This makes your teeth weak. When your teeth are weakened, it can lead to cavities and decay. It is not recommended to avoid citrus fruit altogether though as they are high in Vitamin C – an essential vitamin. Just be aware to rinse or brush your teeth after your meals as the dentist would tell you and your teeth should be fine.

Remember to visit your dentist every six months for a check-up. If you are having issues with your teeth and immunity give us a call as we can help you with tips for a healthy diet to assist your whole body’s healing.

Worst foods and drinks for dental health

Keeping your teeth healthy is vital. Your teeth are very important, you need them to eat. In order to keep your teeth healthy, you should be mindful of the foods and drinks you are eating. These can destroy your teeth.

Foods that are bad for teeth

One thing that is not good for your teeth is sugar. You probably already know how bad sugar is for you and your general health, but what you may not realise, is how bad it is for your teeth. Sugar is normally found in highly refined and processed food. These foods include things like lollies, packaged baked foods such as cakes, biscuits, etc. and soft drinks. The problem is that sugar sits on your teeth and gums. It accumulates and increases your risk for cavities and tooth decay. Snack foods also often cause you problems with your teeth. This is because certain snack foods can get stuck in your teeth. This will increase your risk of bacteria building up. These foods include popcorn, chips and pretzels. Something that you may not have thought would be bad for your teeth is dried fruit. The problem with them is due to the fact that they are sticky and can get caught in your teeth. This again causes issues with bacteria build up. If you are after a fruity snack try swapping out the dried fruit with fresh fruit instead. White bread can also cause problems with your teeth. This is because these types of breads are typically made with refined white flour. This type of flour is usually stripped of most its natural fibre and nutritional value. It is typically higher in sugar content causing stickiness on your teeth. These foods include white bread, bagels, donuts, and white pizza dough. They are also very bad for your gut and can cause a whole list of stomach problems.

Drinks that are bad for your teeth

Not only should you be thinking about the foods you’re eating but also the types of drinks that you are drinking. Alcohol is not great for your teeth. If you are a heavy drinker, you will have a higher risk of gum disease and tooth decay. Alcohol abuse is actually the second most common risk factor for oral cancer. Other drinks that can cause you problems with your teeth include acidic drinks. If you are drinking a lot of citrus juices, soft drinks, Kombucha or coffee and tea you could find you have problems with your teeth. This is because these drinks have high acidity which can wear away the enamel on your teeth and lead to discoloration. While Kombucha offers several health benefits, it is high in sugar and acidity, and may be worse than soft drink. Green tea however, is linked to fewer cavities and better periodontal health.

The only time you shouldn’t brush your teeth is straight after eating or drinking sugary or acidic foods and beverages. You should rinse your mouth with water instead. You should wait at least 30 minutes before you brush because the acid temporarily weakens the tooth enamel.

Also remember to see your dentist at least every 6 months for a check up to make sure your teeth stay strong and healthy. Remember ideally your teeth need to last your for your whole life so look after them.