Good Diet for Preventing Dental Cavities

Dental cavities are something that pretty much everybody seeks to avoid. Eating a healthy diet will go a long way in helping to prevent dental cavities.

Calcium is one of the most important nutrients for ensuring healthy teeth. Calcium provides our skeletal system with structure and hardness, and our teeth have basically the same properties as the bones in our body. A lot of the best sources of calcium are also high in fat, but there are ways to get calcium through some low-fat options. Low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, and certain green leafy vegetables are great sources of calcium. In order for our body to be able to absorb calcium into the teeth and bones, though, it needs to have enough vitamin D in order to do so. Calcium without vitamin D is essentially useless to us. It only takes 15 minutes of sun exposure for our bodies to produce the recommended vitamin D intake for one day. Many foods like milk are now fortified with vitamin D, as well.

Because vitamin C is good for our gums, it means it is also good for our teeth. Healthy gums are an important part of maintaining good oral hygiene. You can get vitamin C from citrus fruits and certain vegetables like broccoli. Fluoride is another important nutrient that keeps our teeth strong. Fluoride not only makes teeth harder, but it makes them more resistant to decay. Many city water supplies have fluoridated water for this reason. For those that do not, fluoride supplements are available.

One of the best things you can do is avoid sugary foods. Sugar acts as fuel to the harmful bacteria that lead to tooth decay. And do not forget that complex carbohydrates, such as bread and crackers, are broken down into sugar by our bodies. So unless you want to get used to having a root canal treatment every time you go to the dentist, make sure you limit your simple sugar intake and clean your teeth after eating complex carbohydrates.

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