Eating healthily can be positive for your whole body it can be extremely beneficial for your teeth and gums. Certain foods can provide essential nutrients for healthy teeth and ensure your oral health is protected whilst you’re in quarantine.
There’s no better time to consider a healthy diet with gyms and dental practices currently closed. To ensure you can preserve the health of your teeth and gums, here are some foods to consider eating during lockdown that can provide your teeth with the nutrients they require to stay healthy.
You may find that we as dental professionals often encourage the use of toothpaste that includes calcium phosphate. This is because it has the properties to improve teeth structure and make them stronger. Therefore, calcium-rich foods are great to have in your diet. It’s most commonly found in dairy products such as milk and yoghurt. However, there are also alternatives which can include canned salmon or sardines which have high sources of calcium.
According to studies and reports, phosphorus is the second most common mineral found in the body after calcium. Most of this phosphorus is found in your teeth and works together with calcium to help improve the strength of your teeth.
It’s relatively easy for the body to consume phosphorus as it can be found regularly in a typical diet. Foods where you can find levels of phosphorus include meats and eggs as well as dried fruit and whole grain foods.
Vitamin D is also crucial in helping you maintain healthy teeth. Sunshine is a great source of Vitamin D, but with many of us spending more time than usual inside during lockdown, there’s a concern that we are not getting enough of it. Vitamin D is a form of micronutrient found in the body which helps the body to absorb calcium within the bloodstream. If this bodily function didn’t work correctly, it would mean calcium wouldn’t be absorbed in the body and get the nutrition it requires.
There are many foods available that include vitamin D to provide your nutrients for healthy teeth. These include foods such as cheese, fatty fish such as mackerel and orange juice. One way to check whether your food includes vitamin D is to check the food labels.
It’s fair to say there are many foods that include vitamins that are good for your teeth, but vitamin C is also good for your gums. For your teeth to be strong, it requires solid foundations and vitamin C is required in order to form blood vessels and tissue in the gums to help support your teeth. Those who have a lack of vitamin C can sometimes have problems with bleeding gums. Therefore, vitamin C is extremely important for your gum health. Foods that include vitamin C are those such as citrus fruits, spinach, and peppers. These can be easily incorporated into your normal diet.
The change that you make to your diet doesn’t have to be dramatic. The foods that are highlighted above can be included in your diet gradually. In doing so, you can be sure that you’re getting the required nutrients for healthy teeth and your oral health remains in a good condition.
