It’s easy to assume that daily brushing and flossing are all you need to keep your teeth and gums healthy, but it requires more than at-home oral hygiene to keep decay and disease away. In addition to regular checkups and cleanings at your dentist’s office, your diet also plays a role in your oral and overall health. If you want to be proactive about reducing your risk of gum disease, consider incorporating some of these superfoods into your daily diet.
How Can Your Diet Influence Gum Health?
What you eat can help or hinder your gum and overall health. It’s no secret that sugars and starches cause bacteria and plaque to attack healthy enamel and tissues, resulting in an infection that can spread to the bone and throughout the body.
However, choosing healthier, nutrient-rich foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals can reduce the risk and protect your smile against harmful, disease-causing bacteria.
With a well-balanced diet of foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus, your teeth will remain strong. Once you increase your vitamin C intake, your gums will benefit from increased collagen production, which strengthens these tissues. As a result, potential inflammation and gum disease decrease.
Which Foods Help Combat Gum Disease?
As you think about ways to improve your diet so that the foods you eat benefit more than just your waistline, consider adding these options to ensure your oral health gets the protection it needs:
- Milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products contain essential calcium, helping to keep teeth and bones strong.
- Spinach, kale, and leafy greens are high in calcium and vitamin C, which will improve gum health.
- Oranges, kiwi, strawberries, and other citrus fruits are packed full of vitamin C.
- Salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for reducing and preventing gum inflammation.
- Green tea contains properties that reduce gum inflammation and prevent harmful bacterial growth in the mouth.
- Brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread are full of vitamin B and iron, both of which are good for better oral health.
- Water keeps you hydrated and stimulates saliva production, so the chances of decay and disease remain low.
Don’t let your diet be the reason you develop gum disease. By taking a proactive approach and incorporating these foods into your diet, you’ll be free to enjoy a healthier, natural smile in the years ahead.
About the Practice
Peterson & Cammack Family & Cosmetic Dentistry are pleased to offer periodontal therapy to patients with gum disease. Regardless of the stage – early or advanced – we can target harmful bacteria and infection to improve gum health and restore smiles. Our team is also here to offer helpful ways to lower one’s risk, including superfoods that can prevent and reduce the symptoms of gum disease. If you want to keep your soft oral tissues in check, visit our website or call (360) 459-4420 to schedule an appointment.