While many people want their smile to be white and bright, there are other health concerns that should take a greater priority. One of them is tooth decay, since 92 percent of adults have cavities. The decay caused by cavities can lead to teeth that are missing, broken, or discolored, as well as resulting in pain that needs to be treated by a dentist. Preventing cavities will be possible with brushing, flossing, and semi-annual dental cleanings, but there are other things you can do as well. Cavities can actually be prevented by the things that you eat.
Wine
While wine is typically associated with causing teeth to become discolored, there are chemicals in wine that help fight bacteria. This actually helps fight tooth decay. The glass of wine you have each night is not only relaxing, but it is also cleaning inside your mouth. Beverages rinse out bacteria and food particles that are left behind from eating. You'll still need to brush, though, to prevent the discoloration from happening.
Cheese
Were you aware that there are health benefits with consuming cheese? Cheese contains vitamin B12, vitamin A, zinc, and various proteins that are good for your health. The calcium found in the cheese also helps your bones, as well as your dental health. If you are not getting the daily calcium that your body needs, incorporating cheese into your diet can help.
As for cavity prevention, cheese has casein in it—a protein that is known to provide dental protection, which is because it reduces enamel demineralization. Next time you are having a meal, incorporate a couple cheese cubes so that you can see the dental benefits of eating cheese.
Apples
A common saying is that eating an apple every day will keep your doctor away. Did you know that having apples will also keep the dentist away too?
Fresh fruit, like apples, has sugar and acids in them. It might not seem good that apples are acidic in nature, but this provides a benefit to teeth. Eating apples will cause you to produce more saliva, which helps clean your teeth of the bacteria on them from other foods that you have been eating. Saliva production is crucial to good oral health, and the more things you do to stimulate saliva production, the better your teeth will be.
For more tips on preventing cavities, speak to a dentist like Tore D Steinberg DDS PC.
Share3 November 2016
I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.
