Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Oral health is one of the most important yet most overlooked aspects of achieving good overall health. While you probably already brush your teeth every day, keeping them healthy also involves eating a proper diet. Here are four of the best foods for strengthening teeth that everyone should try.
1. Yogurt
With its high calcium content, yogurt is a great food to eat if you want to achieve better tooth health over your lifetime. This fermented dairy product is also rich in essential fat-soluble vitamins that are important for the absorption of calcium and the strengthening of teeth and bones. Yogurt even contains high levels of lactic acid, which has been associated with a reduced risk of gum disease, making it an all-around superfood for your mouth.
2. Milk
Like yogurt, milk is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and lactic acid. While it may not have the same concentrations of these compounds as yogurt, drinking a glass of milk a day is an easy way to support your overall dental health. Alongside good preventative dental care, drinking milk regularly is one of the best things you can do to keep your teeth healthy.
3. Fatty Fish
If you’re looking for a non-dairy source of the fat-soluble vitamins that are essential for good tooth health, fatty fish may be the right solution for you. Fish like salmon, cod and sardines contain most of these vitamins in abundance. In addition, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish have been shown to reduce the inflammation that is associated with gum disease.
4. Green Tea
To prevent cavities, it’s important to kill off harmful bacteria in your mouth. While brushing and flossing every day are important steps to accomplishing this, you can also supplement your dental health routine by drinking green tea. The compounds found in green tea have been shown to target some of the more common decay-causing bacteria in the mouth, which can prevent cavities from forming in the first place. Tea is also associated with a wide assortment of other health benefits that range from improved cardiovascular health to reduced inflammation.
While it’s still important to brush daily and visit your dentist regularly, adopting a tooth-friendly diet is a crucial part of improving your overall dental health and preventing tooth decay. By incorporating these four foods in your diet, you can ensure that your teeth stay healthy over the course of your lifetime and reduce your chances of developing oral diseases.