An Irvine Dental Topic of the Day: Healthy foods and your oral health

Sugary foods such as candy and soda, contribute to tooth decay. On the first areas to decline when your diet is less than ideal is your oral health.

Our Irvine Dental team looked into this topic closely. Here are some examples of how certain foods can benefit you and your oral health:

1. Cheese: Many studies have shown that eating cheese raised the PH level in the mouth. Cheese also contains calcium and protein, which help strengthen tooth enamel.
2. Yogurt: Also being a good source of calcium and protein, which makes another food option to help strengthen tooth enamel. Also as most of us know yogurt has probiotics (or good bacteria) that help build a healthy environment.
3. Greens: Many greens such as kale and spinach also are high in calcium with build the enamel of our teeth. They also contain folic acid, and B vitamin, which can help treat gum disease in pregnant women. If you’re not a big fan of greens the best way to get them in is to add it to your smoothie or to use as your pizza topping.
4. Apples: Some food items such as fruits might have sugar but as long as you intake in moderation they can be beneficial. For example: apples are high in fiber and water. The action of eating an apple produces saliva flow, which helps rinse away bacteria and food particles.
5. Celery: Also contains water and just like apple it slightly
6. Almonds: Good source of calcium and protein, and low in sugar.

These are some examples covered by our Irvine Dental team on how your overall diet not only makes a difference in your health but also in your smile.