Beyond The Dentist: What You Can Do To Prevent Tooth Decay

Going to the dentist once every six months is a vital part of keeping your teeth gleaming and healthy. In between that time, dental health experts agree that a regimen of brushing after every meal and flossing once daily is a good way to keep any kind of dental disease from creeping in. However, there are other things you can do to protect the health of your teeth. These things come in the food that you eat and those you avoid.

Calcium is one of the most important aspects of keeping your teeth strong. While everyone knows this, many people do not get enough in their daily diet. Milk and dairy products, sardines, almonds, and certain types of dark green vegetables are all filled with calcium and should be consumed to build up the tooth structure, especially for children and teenagers. Speaking of children, they should also make sure and get enough fluoride in their diet. This can come from fluoridated water (check to see if your municipality adds fluoride to the water). Tea and certain other beverages are also made with fluoride. If it is impossible to get it through these avenues, there are commercial mouthwashes and toothpastes with fluoride added.

While this isn’t breaking news, you won’t find a dentist around who won’t encourage children and adults to limit their intake of sugar. Not only does a large intake of refined sugar pose serious risks to your overall health, it can wreak havoc on your teeth. This means avoiding foods such as cookies and cakes as well as sodas and sugary cereals. But sugar isn’t the only culprit to watch out for. Foods rich in simple carbohydrates such as white rice and white bread are also hazards to the teeth. For better results, try foods such as whole wheat bread and brown rice.

Nothing can take the place of a regular, sustained dental regimen, but there are numerous foods you can eat to take better care of your teeth. Fresh fruits are among the better foods, along with the dark green vegetables mentioned earlier. Sugarless gum can have a nice effect on the health of your teeth, as the chewing is good for the gums and the saliva increased by the flavor can wash away bits of food particles left in between the teeth. Coffee and cigarettes are wisely avoided, although this has more to do with the appearance of the teeth than the health. Ask your dentist for more tips regarding the best foods to eat and which ones to watch out for.